Call of Duty Demands of Honor
by Lady K'Lyssia
Summary: The sequel to Oaths of Duty; Vows of Honor. Lady K'Lyssia has been the Leader of the Klingon High Council for 3 months and Kirk must learn where her loyalties truly lie as others set plans in motion for a war between the Federation and the Empire.
1. Chapter 1

CALL OF DUTY; DEMANDS OF HONOR

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CHAPTER ONE

(Federation)

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"Status!" Captain Hunter snapped as the Aerfen was again rocked by phaser fire.

"Communications jammed. Targeting sensors and phasers off-line," Ilya, her first officer shouted over the alarm claxons.

Hunter brushed her hair out of her face, her hand resting momentarily on the red feather braided there. A protective gesture she had adopted in the Academy when an upperclassman had tried to bring her up on charges for wearing the totem.

"Evasive. Manual targeting on the photon torpedoes. Get us back to Federation space," she ordered. "Break through that jamming!" The sleek Starfleet fighter rocked as she was hit by another phaser barrage from the Klingon ships.

"Captain, sensors show two more Klingon ships coming in!" Ilya announced.

"Damn," Hunter muttered.

Admiral Kirk had asked her to keep an eye out for unusual activity in the Klingon sectors along the Neutral Zone. With all the recent pullbacks by the Klingon fleet from those areas, she had been surprised when Aerfen had found five Klingon ships in this sector.

_The Klingons must have been waiting for someone to look them over,_ she thought. _They engaged us pretty damn quick._

Hunter turned to glance at her first officer. "Ilya, how far to Federation space, and are there any Starfleet ships nearby?" she asked.

"Ten minutes. None that I can pick up."

"Got one!" The weapons officer said.

Hunter turned to see one of the battle cruisers explode on the screen.

"Captain, those other two ships are firing on our pursuers," the weapons officer said. "They just got one, also."

"I'll take whatever help I can get right now. Maintain course."

"Captain, the Klingons are breaking off pursuit. Jamming is clearing, and I'm receiving a hail from one of them," Ilya said.

"On screen."

"Sorry, it's audio only."

Hunter nodded. "Understood."

"I am Captain Garuth. On behalf of the Empire, I apologize for the damage to your vessel. The commanders responsible will be dealt with appropriately." The transmission clicked off abruptly.

"Channel has been closed," Ilya said. "Hunter, I'm picking up something strange on sensors. It looks like there's now a total of seven Klingon ships."

"What? Where did the new ones come from? We destroyed one and so did the Klingons. There should only be five!"

"A sensor ghost," the weapons officer said.

"What was that?" Hunter asked.

"A sensor ghost. One of my year mates at the Academy, Kelli Ramsey, developed a device she called a sensor ghost. It could fool sensors into thinking a ship was something other than what it was. I doubt it would be difficult to use it to create the illusion of an explosion, or even to hide a ship from sensors."

"Lay in a course for Earth, maximum warp. I want to deliver this report in person."

#

Kirk turned the viewer off and removed the report he had been reading. He put the computer tape on the desk next to the viewer, then reached up to rub at his temples. The reports and analyses were giving him a headache.

He glanced up at the Klingon sash, _bat'leth_, and daggers hanging on the wall behind his desk. Kelli Ramsey, no, he corrected himself, K'Lyssia had given them to him three months earlier, after his first and hopefully last visit to the Empire.

Despite the negative comments from other members of the Admiralty, such as Admiral Cartwright, he had left the weapons and sash there. He understood the honor Ramsey had paid him when she named him as a brother and gave him a place in her house. After he had gotten past his initial prejudices, Kirk realized Ramsey was a woman worthy of respect and trust: a true Starfleet officer. He had also found it true of several of the Klingons he had dealt with. The sash and weapons were reminders to keep an open mind.

He glanced down at his desk. Scattered across it, along with the reports, were tapes outlining various defense strategies and plans for the sectors bordering the Klingon Neutral Zone. These were all being reviewed and changed as the person who had developed them was now living in the Empire, creating a potentially dangerous situation.

The intelligence reports he had been reading lately showed just how unstable this situation was becoming. As he picked up another of the reports and began studying the information, his instincts started telling him it was all about to come to a head.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

(Federation)

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Kirk looked up as the door to his office opened unexpectedly.

"Captain Hunter, the Admiral is very busy," Riley said, blocking the door.

"Listen, I need to see Jim. And, I need to see him now! Get out of my way or I'll move you out of it!"

"Riley, let Captain Hunter in," Kirk said, grinning.

"Yes, Sir." Riley stepped out of the doorway to let Hunter by.

"Your attaché seems to be a bit protective," Hunter said sitting down.

"Riley's a bit eager, but does his job well." Kirk studied his friend. Despite the years, she had changed very little from the rebellious student he had known at the Academy. There was now some gray streaked through her black hair and lines around her eyes, but she still carried herself with a strong, independent attitude. And, of course, she still wore the eagle feather in her hair.

They had been through some rough times since their first meeting and their friendship had once been something more. Now, he cherished her as a close friend. In her position as the commander of a fighter squadron, her reports offered a different perspective on the information he was reading on a daily basis. Seeing her here, arms crossed over her chest as she studied him, he found himself wondering what had happened to bring her to see him in person. Whatever it was-he doubted it was good.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the tightness in her jaw.

"Have you read my last report yet?" Hunter asked.

"Not yet. Why?"

"Good. You need to know some things before reading it." Hunter leaned back in the chair and put her feet up on his desk.

Kirk shook his head slightly, but didn't say anything.

"It's my belief the Klingons are up to something. Those recent pullbacks are starting to look like a ruse." Hunter went on to tell him about Aerfen's encounter with the Klingon ships in the Meikos Minor system.

"Sensor ghost?" Kirk asked, leaning forward. "Was he sure about that?"

"Only that he thought the technology was capable of producing those types of illusions, if that's what they were."

"Damn," Kirk muttered, glancing up at the wall with its display.

"Now, we're left guessing about those pullbacks. Are they real or are those ships being hidden from our sensors somehow?" Hunter tossed a tape on his desk then stood up. "Jim, I know you have a lot to do and with what I just told you, it probably just grew exponentially."

Hunter smiled softly. "Aerfen's going to be here for a while undergoing repairs, before heading back to the Neutral Zone. Contact me; if you get a chance."

"I will. Thanks for stopping by." Kirk stood politely as Hunter left.

He sat back down and picked up the computer tape Hunter had left. Taken at face value, there had been nothing alarming in her previous reports. However, when they were added to what she had just told him, the intelligence reports and what he knew of the situation within the Empire, the implications changed drastically.

Two months ago, the Klingons began expanding their patrols into the Neutral Zone and gradually increasing the number of ships assigned to the border sectors. Now, the reports were showing a sudden drop in those numbers. The tape Hunter left him confirmed something he had been suspicious of. It listed the ships no longer found on the border. All of them were ones he knew had been specifically assigned by Kor or Kang. Ramsey had sent him that much information at least.

Kirk pressed the intercom button. "Riley contact Starfleet Intelligence. I want to speak with Admiral Honeycutt."

"Yes, Sir."

"And, Riley, don't let him put you off."

"Of course not." Kirk could hear the grin he knew was on his attaché's face.

Less than a minute later, the viewer flickered and Riley's face appeared. "I have Admiral Honeycutt for you," he said.

"Thank you. Put him through."

"Kirk, what's up? Your attaché said it was important."

"It is. The latest reports from the Neutral Zone show several Klingon ships have been pulled out of the area," Kirk said.

"I know. We're hoping it's an indication things are settling down," Honeycutt said.

"Things may be settling down in the Empire, but I doubt it will be good for the Federation."

"How so?" Honeycutt leaned forward and stared at him. Even through the viewscreen, Kirk could feel the intensity of those ice-blue eyes.

"Because the ships being pulled back are ones I'm positive have captains and crews loyal to Lady K'Lyssia. If she has lost enough control of the High Council that Kor is unable to keep these ships in the Neutral Zone, then factions that support war with the Federation may be coming into power."

"Of course it could also be an illusion created through the use of Ramsey's sensor ghost," Honeycutt said. The admiral paused and stared at Kirk, waiting.

Kirk refused to be intimidated. "I seriously doubt that. I don't believe Ramsey would have given Starfleet technology to the High Command. She would _never_ betray her oaths to the Federation or to Starfleet," Kirk said.

Honeycutt leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. Kirk waited while the Admiral appeared to gather his thoughts.

"I read your complete report on Lady K'Lyssia's installation as Leader of the High Council, so I know the special concerns involved. Based on Admiral Cartwright's earlier suspicions about Kelli Ramsey, could everything that happened on the Enterprise have been a ruse on her part? An elaborate set up to convince you she wasn't a Klingon agent, so you would let her return to the Empire? You have to admit; she is now in the perfect position to do serious damage to the Federation."

"She submitted to a mind meld before I let her leave," Kirk protested.

"Unwillingly. She agreed to it only after you backed her into a corner on the issue. She also admitted to having received training on Vulcan in fighting various mind-probing techniques. Knowing that, is it possible she was able to fool Ambassador Sarek into seeing what she wanted him to see? Remember; she was trained on Vulcan. If it is, then it is also possible she was using you to ensure her defection from the Federation."

Kirk glanced at the weapons on the wall behind him then turned back to the screen. "Admiral in your position, you automatically look for the worst case scenario when examining a situation. I understand and respect why that has to be. But, in this case you're looking in the wrong direction."

"Explain." Honeycutt smiled and Kirk saw a twinkle in his eyes as he waited.

Kirk took a breath. Admiral Mike Honeycutt had a reputation for being able to out logic a Vulcan. _How do you explain an instinct logically,_ he thought. "As a starship captain, I learned to trust my instincts. Right now, my instincts are telling me Kelli Ramsey is a person of exceptional character. As long as she remains in control of the Empire, the treaty will be honored," he said.

"Personally, I agree with you, but Admiral Cartwright doesn't. He has been saying the same things I just pointed out to you, to various officials for the last three months. With all the activity in the Neutral Zone recently, more of them are starting to listen. If we can calm a few fears by stating the pullbacks might indicate a decrease in tensions then that is precisely what we are going to do," Honeycutt said.

"We still need to be prepared for the possibility of an attack by the Empire." Kirk looked at the tapes scattered across his desk then back at the screen.

"I won't argue with you on that, but, I believe that is your job in this. Was there anything else?" Honeycutt glanced away from the screen.

"Do you have any information on the Empire possibly having cloaking technology?" Kirk asked.

"We have picked up a couple of rumors, but nothing has been confirmed. By the way, we are pretty sure the Empire has the sensor ghost technology, but have never been able to confirm it. Admiral Cartwright has been suggesting they have it, primarily in an attempt to claim Ramsey gave it to them."

Kirk sat up straighter and shook his head. "Understood. What about the pullbacks?"

"Our information indicates the pullbacks are real."

"Do you know where those ships are now?"

"From what we've been able to gather, they're headed back to Kronos." Honeycutt glanced away from the viewer again.

"Which only strengthens my belief that a power struggle has begun within the Empire," Kirk said.

"Perhaps you need to check into the situation. We need to know whether K'Lyssia is involved in a last ditch effort to save herself or if she is only consolidating her power."

"I'll get on it."

"Kirk," Honeycutt paused briefly. "You can count on my section's support. I have operatives who can be moved into position to assist as necessary. I will tell you this though, if a power struggle has started on Kronos, the Klingons have kept it unusually quiet. If I do hear anything, I will pass it along."

"Thanks," Kirk said as the viewer went blank.

"Admiral?" Riley asked, entering the office.

"Yes, Commander?"

"This just arrived from the Diplomatic Courier Service." Riley handed him a small diplomatic pouch, then left.

Kirk looked at the small black pouch. The flap was sealed with the diamond and dagger emblem of House Lynsia. Inside was a brief note. "James, I wanted to offer my personal congratulations on your promotion as well as my sympathies on same. You deserve the recognition, but I understand more than many others what it is going to cost you. Hope your new position is agreeing with you more than mine is. At least you should still have opportunities to travel among the stars. I wish you well and invite you to revisit the Empire. Your bond-sister K'Lyssia, daughter of Raynia of House Lynsia, Leader of the High Council."

The note was signed - "Kitty Kelli."

"Hope your new position is agreeing with you more than mine is." Kirk could hear Ramsey's contralto voice echoing those words in his thoughts. The words repeated in his mind and he thought he could also hear a deep sadness in that voice.

The _Dream of Stars_ it was called: That intense longing to be in space, to travel among those glittering points of light. Kirk had felt it as a teenager when he traveled with his father and Captain Robert April during the Enterprise's commissioning cruise. He didn't know when the dream had grabbed Ramsey, but he did know it had as strong a hold on her as it did him. Kirk turned to the window and watched as the first stars began twinkling in the darkening sky over San Francisco.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

(Empire)

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Ramsey stood on her balcony, watching the darkening sky over the Capitol City. A soft breeze, helping to dissipate the heat of the day accompanied the unusually clear night. Even after three months on Kronos, she found nights like this, which would chill most true Klingons, to be pleasant.

She watched as the first stars began shining. A group of three caught her eyes as they brightened above a curving depression in the mountains. "Kahless' Sword," she whispered, seeing the shape formed by the stars and the mountain. This alignment was rarely seen and many considered it a good omen. Ramsey felt a sudden chill go through her as she studied the stars.

"_ghuy'cha'_!" she said, jerking away from an unexpected presence behind her.

:_Easy, Kitten,_ she heard her husband's mind voice say gently.

She smiled as she turned and looked into Ta'les' violet eyes. :_So unusual for a Vulcan,_ she thought.

:_I am not your usual Vulcan, as you know,_ came his reply.

"No you're not," Ramsey said, grinning. "That's why I love you."

"You still miss them, don't you," Ta'les said, looking up at the sky.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, softly.

"To anyone who knows you, Kitten. To anyone who knows you." Ta'les placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. "Someday, you will return to them. I promise you, I will find a way to return you to the stars," he whispered.

"But, for now, I have my duty to the Empire and another council session tomorrow," she said. With a last look at the stars shining in the sky, she turned to go into her chambers. "One day," she promised herself.

#

Ramsey sat on the throne and forced a yawn as D'Ras continued with his latest tirade against the treaty she had signed with the Federation.

"You are a fool! Now, is the time to attack! The Federation is our enemy! You cannot ask us to make peace with _Qa'Hom_ like that. We are warriors!" D'Ras drew his _d'k tahg_ and held it up, the subdued light of the hall glinted off the polished blade and its two extended guard blades.

"Klingons do not trade for what they want. We take what is ours by right of strength!" a voice called from the group standing to D'Ras' right.

Ramsey fought the urge to snap her head to see who had shouted. That the council was polarizing on the issue of war with the Federation was evident, but prior to this, none had been so bold as to vocally support D'Ras in council. She slowly scanned the councilors standing to either side of the hall and frowned at the nods of agreement she saw. The majority of those nods were coming from the group she knew supported D'Ras. A few came from those who had once supported her. She closed her eyes for a moment. Ramsey knew she couldn't let any on the council believe she was worried or afraid of D'Ras and his supporters. She returned her gaze to D'Ras and spoke in the voice she would have used to re-explain something to a first year Ensign; something they should already know. "A true Klingon warrior does not put their personal glory above the good of the Empire," she said, not bothering to hide the condescending smile she knew was on her lips.

"Would a _true Klingon_ hide her heritage?" D'Ras said, waving his empty hand in her direction. "You are quick to recite the words of Kahless. But, how can one who hides what every other Klingon regards as marks of wisdom know the meaning of those words?"

Ramsey frowned as she reached up and brushed her fingertips across her bangs. She had cut her hair to create the bangs and hide her developing cranial ridges while she was still on the Enterprise. With Admiral Cartwright's accusation and the rumors of her being a Klingon agent, it had seemed like a good idea to hide the most obvious sign of her Klingon heritage. Now, D'Ras used it to say she was ashamed of who and what she was. There had been times in the past, when he would have been right. Now, it was different. She was beginning to accept her mixed heritage and she was doing it on her own terms.

"Perhaps, instead of calling you Lady K'Lyssia, you would prefer that we call you Commodore Ramsey," D'Ras said, taking a step towards the throne.

Ramsey stood and slowly walked down the steps to face the young councilor. :_Kitten?_ She heard Ta'les' voice in her mind.

:_Don't worry; I'm not going to challenge him. I'm just going to take him down a peg or two. Or at least, I'm going to try._

Ramsey flinched slightly at the hatred she saw burning in D'Ras' dark eyes. Then, with a quick grab, she snatched the _d'k tahg_ out of his hand. "I am K'Lyssia, daughter of Raynia, of House Lynsia. It is I who lead the council and the Empire-not you! Do not presume to dictate my actions with insults that are unworthy of my notice."

"Then prove you are a true daughter of Kahless and a warrior! You must consider the advantage we have over the Federation at this time. Now, is the time to attack! If you doubt the truth of my words let the stars stand as witness to them," D'Ras said.

"Kahless' Sword appeared in the sky last night," Khem'Ra said, stepping out from among her supporters. Ramsey nodded to him and the elder councilor continued. "The appearance of the sword is not always a call to war, D'Ras. It is only a sign that great events will be occurring soon, nothing more."

"Then perhaps we should all remember that the last time the Sword appeared with Borath as its center point was three months into the reign of Emperor Rucla'. We are all aware of the changes heralded by that appearance. An emperor no longer rules the Empire, much less an empress," D'Ras said to the members of the council. He turned back to face Ramsey, smiling. "Something, I believe House Lynsia had a hand in."

"K'Lorik took his duty to protect the Empire seriously." Ramsey took a deep breath to calm herself. "As do I!" She took another breath and sat back for a moment. _The official records say K'Trelan assassinated Rucla' and his family. How does D'Ras know House Lynsia was involved?_ Her temper was threatening to explode and she knew she couldn't afford to let it. D'Ras had been acting subtly for the past three months and had consolidated a large power base. That he was now willing to oppose her directly, in this manner, was proof he felt secure enough to possibly challenge her. Although, she knew it would cost her, she refused to accept the challenge in his voice. This was not the time.

"Do you honestly believe Kahless would ask me to risk the Empire in a war with the Federation," she said, choosing her words carefully. "Kahless spent his life uniting the warring Klingon houses into a strong Empire. I'm sure he found members of those houses who presented the same argument to him about those they considered their enemies as you have about the Federation. The only difference between then and now; those were Klingons fighting Klingons."

Ramsey paused and took a step towards D'Ras. They were standing within a few inches of each other. Ramsey hid the satisfaction she felt at seeing his eyes widen slightly. She had surprised him with her actions; of that, she was certain. He was still judging her based on his perceptions of Terrans. He refused to believe she could have enough of a warrior's spirit to stand against him. His brother, D'Ban, made the same mistake when he had challenged her right to lead the High Council. D'Ban had lost; so would D'Ras.

Ramsey held D'Ras' knife out to him hilt first and calmly met his dark eyes as he slowly pulled it from her hand. She refused to flinch as she felt the cold metal cutting her palm. She smiled as D'Ras stepped back.

Ramsey gestured to the assembled council with her cut hand, blood dripping on the floor. "Have all of you forgotten the Organians?" she asked. "They are not warriors, but they certainly have the ability to impose their will upon us. D'Ras has stated the Federation has slackened its guard; do we really want to see if the Organians have slackened theirs? After witnessing their last demonstration, I do not desire to make them angry. If the council were foolish enough to antagonize the Organians, it would be the entire Empire that suffered. Until you can guarantee they will not interfere, I will not listen to your words of war." Ramsey closed her fist tightly as the blood continued to drip on the floor.

"By the oath you have just made, you now have no choice but to listen. I have studied the treaty forced on us by the Organians; I guarantee they will not interfere," D'Ras said.

Ramsey stared at the young councilor standing proudly with his supporters. He was looking at her closed fist and smiling. _My oath?_ She thought. _In the name of the Fek'lhr, how much more stupid can I be?_

"The oath has been made. You are bound by your honor and by your blood," Khem'Ra said formally.

"Very well. I will listen to your words. Be prepared to explain in detail tomorrow," she said. The gleam of victory in D'Ras' eyes sent a shudder through her. "The council is adjoined!" she snapped before D'Ras could challenge her further. As the members of the council left the hall, she turned to face the throne, deliberately turning her back on D'Ras.

:_Kitten,_ Ta'les whispered in her mind. She glanced up at her husband and saw his eyes focused on something behind her. The darkness and intensity of his gaze sent a chill through her.

Ramsey turned slowly to see D'Ras still standing in the otherwise empty room. He appeared to be studying her as he waited near the main doors.

"You are losing power and influence on the council," D'Ras said. "It is only a matter of time before I lead the council-not you. Do not think you can stop my plans with your threats of the Organians. If you do not support me in this, you will be destroyed by it."

"Don't bet on it. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve," she said.

"A true warrior does not need tricks, Earther." D'Ras turned towards the doors.

"D'Ras," Ramsey said softly.

"What?" The councilor stopped at the door and turned back to face her.

"Since you are the one who brought up the issue of my Terran name, I ask if you know what it means."

"I have no reason or desire to know."

"You will learn anyway. Kelli has its origin in the area where my adoptive parents lived. Some translate it as _the warlike one_. They gave me that name to honor my Klingon heritage," she said, walking up to D'Ras. She stopped less than a foot from him and gave him an appraising look.

"I may have grown up in the Federation, but I have studied many of the great warriors of history. Believe me, when I refer to tricks, I mean a warrior's tricks. My knowledge of both Klingon and Terran history would make me a formidable opponent if you chose to challenge me directly-as your brother found out. It is you who stray from the paths of the true warrior, with the games you play."

D'Ras met her gaze with a glare. "You may have studied the great warriors of history, but the fire of those warriors is not in your heart. Power is the game I play, and it is one I intend to win. I will have your position. You are too naïve and trusting to lead the council for long."

"At least I have honor." Ramsey stood straight as she faced D'Ras.

"Honor?" D'Ras said, laughing. "Honor has no meaning in the Empire anymore. You should understand that more than anyone. You have seen the Empire from both sides. Only the pretense of honor exists. What truly matters within the Empire these days, is power and who wields it."

"You're wrong!" Ramsey took a step back and shook her head. "There are many within the Empire who know what honor is, and have no concern for personal power."

"If you believe that, you are indeed a fool." D'Ras turned and walked out of the council chamber.

Ramsey watched the young councilor leave and thought back on the actions of his brother as she compared what she knew of the two. Kang and Kor had spoken of D'Ban acting only for personal glory and power, yet the arguments he had made in his challenge of her had spoken of concern for the Empire.

D'Ban may have wanted her uncle's position for his own, but Ramsey thought he truly did not trust her because of her time within the Federation. There were many within the Empire who still viewed her with distrust for the same reason. Yes, she had been born in the Empire, raised and trained to be a warrior, but she had spent the last thirty years of her life as a Starfleet officer. Three months was not enough time for many to see past that part of her history. Particularly not with D'Ras reminding them and throwing it into her face every chance he got. The young councilor was only after personal power; he had admitted that.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

(Empire)

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Ramsey stared after D'Ras for several minutes. _How dare he!_ she thought.

:_He is partially correct, you know._ Ta'les mind voice was gentle. "You are too trusting to play the kind of games D'Ras and the others play," he said.

Ramsey clenched her fists tightly and spun around to face her husband. "You agree with that...that...that _petaQ_!" she said.

"Only partially." The Vulcan stepped down from his post and walked across the Imperial seal on the floor to stand in front of her. "Perhaps, I should leave you alone to think on what has been said here today. Something you need to remember: When in a public house–-drink!" he said, taking her hands and kissing them gently.

"When on the battlefield-fight!" Ramsey said.

"K'Lyssia, you must begin acting as a Klingon. You were taught the ideals along with the regular teachings of Kahless. You believe in them, strongly. So strongly, you fail to recognize the truth of what D'Ras said."

Ramsey jerked her hands away from Ta'les. "The truth of what D'Ras said? You agree we should attack the Federation?" She took another step back and stared at her husband. True, he wasn't a typical Vulcan, but for him to be siding with D'Ban and his plans to start a war with the Federation didn't make any sense to her.

"That is not what I am talking about, and you know it. Your anger has clouded your thinking. I will leave you alone to think. Think on all D'Ras and I have said. Remember _all_ the teachings of Kahless. Not just those you or others choose for you to remember, and you will understand." Ta'les reached up and caressed her cheek then left.

"But, fight with honor," she whispered, finishing the ancient saying. "What about when your enemies have no honor?"

Ramsey walked to the middle of the chamber and slowly surveyed the banners that adorned the walls. Most prominent was a red banner with the black trefoil emblem of the Empire. To the right was a dark blue banner with the silver diamond and dagger emblem of House Lynsia. Arranged throughout the rest of the room were the banners that represented the various houses with seats on the council. Under the Imperial banner sat an empty weapon's stand. _The place reserved for the Sword of Kahless,_ she thought. According to the stories told by her house, Rucla' tried to claim even that place as his own before K'Lorik challenged him.

The room itself was simple in its design and decoration, just as it had been when it served as the audience chamber of Kahless. There was nothing to distract the petitioner from the figure seated on the large, stone throne that dominated the room. Today, the council flanked the throne in much the same manner as Kahless' advisors and guards would have done thirteen hundred years ago.

Ramsey felt her strength drain as she forced herself to relax. The anger she had been fighting during the council session finally faded and she dropped to the floor as her knees wobbled under her. She knelt on the floor for several minutes before regaining her balance. Ramsey looked up and saw a wavering image seated on the throne. The council chamber grew hotter and she wiped the sweat out of her eyes. "Who are you?" she demanded, standing.

The figure looked at her. "It takes two to make peace, but only one to make war," he said.

Ramsey took a deep breath and refused to be intimidated by the figure's appraising gaze. _This can't be,_ she thought.

The figure continued to study her for a few more heartbeats then stood, saluted and vanished.

"In the name of the _Fek'lhr_!" she said, sinking back to the floor. She shivered as the temperature in the room returned to its normal level. "It couldn't have been," she said softly. "The visions only occur at _No'Mat_. Why here? And, more importantly, why now?" Ramsey sat there and thought back on her visit to the lava caves on the monastery planet of Borath and her vision of Kahless.

#

"Lord K'Lyion, are you certain you wish _her_ to attempt this?" K'Lyssia heard one of the clerics talking to her uncle as she prepared for her meditations. "She is female and half Terran. It may not be safe. Only warriors or clerics should seek Kahless."

"She is a daughter of House Lynsia; a direct line descendant of Kahless. She will be a warrior and my heir. It is her right to go through the _MajQa_. You will not interfere!" Her uncle growled at the cleric and she heard the slight sound of metal sliding against leather. Her hand went to her own _d'k tahg_ as she realized he was drawing his dagger to emphasize his point.

She heard her uncle's dagger drop back into its sheath with a soft thump and turned her attention back to her meditations. K'Lyssia cleared her mind and tried to focus her thoughts on Kahless as she sat in front of the small fire. She laid another of the incense branches on the flames and breathed the cleansing vapors. The sharp smell of the incense burned her nostrils, throat and lungs. Silence surrounded her, blocking out the continuing argument between her uncle and the cleric. The smoke blurred her vision. She blinked several times to clear her eyes, then saw a figure standing before her.

"Kahless," she whispered. From behind, she heard a shuffling; like boots scraping on stone as someone turned. She ignored the sound and nodded respectfully to the figure standing before her.

The image of the great emperor nodded and smiled. He was dressed in dark pants with a light colored shirt covered by a vest with alternating strips of fur and leather. He was holding a three-pointed _bat'leth_ in his right arm. He brought the weapon around in front of his body and held it vertically, with the points towards her. He then reversed the weapon, shifted it into a horizontal position, and held it out to her. It lay across his arms offered freely.

K'Lyssia stood and grasped the weapon.

"Remember always-you are my daughter," Kahless said. "_Qapla'_, K'Lyssia, Terran born daughter of Kahless." He and the sword faded.

#

Ramsey looked back at the throne. This vision had looked and felt very much like the one at _No'Mat_.

_I think I understand,_ she thought.

Ramsey continued to think about the vision as she walked through the corridors. Kahless had been a great warrior, but he had fought to defend his people; not conquer them. If she was to succeed in blocking D'Ras' bid for control of the council, she would have to prove she was a true daughter of Kahless with the heart of a warrior. She could no longer trust in the honor of her enemies. It was clear what D'Ras had meant about honor only being a pretense in the Empire these days. If she wanted to win this game, she would have to start playing by a different set of rules.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

(Federation)

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.

Kirk stared out at the stars over the city and sipped at the glass of Saurian Brandy. It was a warm night in San Francisco, even with the gentle breeze blowing across the bay. He closed the doors to the balcony and stepped back into the main room of his apartment. He looked at the package on the table. Lieutenant Sulu had sent him a flintlock pistol from Neural for his collection.

The Lexington had stopped by the planet to check on the stability of its two cultures after the interference by the Klingons approximately three years ago. As they had some knowledge of those events, Sulu and Uhura had transported down to the planet to meet with his friend Tyree. Their report indicated the villagers had continued along the industrial lines the Klingons had introduced them to with the flintlocks, but problems between them and the Hill People had reduced sharply. That was something Kirk was grateful to hear. The planet was still being listed as protected from contact, with very specific exceptions. He doubted another survey team would visit during Tyree's lifetime.

He picked the pistol up and looked at it. It wasn't as ornate as some others in his collection, but it was still a good example of an early style flintlock and would make a nice addition when he found a place to display it.

His door chime rang, interrupting his thoughts and Kirk set the pistol back in the package before turning to answer the door. "Come in," he called.

"Admiral Cartwright?" Kirk stared at the dark-skinned man who entered his apartment. Despite the late hour, Cartwright was still in his uniform. "Can I offer you a drink?" Kirk asked.

"Thank you."

Kirk poured a second glass of the brandy and handed it to Cartwright, then gestured to a seat.

Cartwright ignored the chair and walked over to the wall where several of Kirk's pistols were on display. "Very nice collection. I understand you recently received a new one. One with a Klingon background."

"What can I do for you? I doubt you're here just to discuss my collection." Kirk set his glass down and stared at Cartwright's back.

Cartwright turned around and drained his glass of brandy. "You're right, I didn't come here to discuss your antiques. I want to discuss the recent reports from the Klingon Neutral Zone."

Kirk again gestured to the chair and nodded. "I don't have any of the reports here, this conversation might be better if it occurred in my office."

Cartwright again ignored the offered chair. "Perhaps, however I don't believe we need the reports here to discuss my concerns."

Kirk frowned as he watched Cartwright; he had a bad felling this conversation was going to turn in a direction he didn't want to discuss. "Go ahead," he said after a moment.

"Recent reports are showing a change in the Klingon forces within the Neutral Zone; a decrease in the number and changes in the ships assigned to those locations. Considering your connection to the current Klingon government; I was hoping you could provide some insight."

Kirk took a deep breath. _Legitimate question,_ he thought. _And, he seems to be making an effort to avoid creating an argument about Kelli._ "Peter, the changes are something I discussed at length with Captain Hunter and later Admiral Honeycutt. In Mike's opinion the pullbacks are an indication tensions in those sectors are diminishing."

Cartwright nodded. "I know that's the official position, I was hoping you could support that position based on your insights."

Kirk picked up his glass and took a drink. He studied Admiral Cartwright for a moment. He didn't get the feeling Cartwright was trying to get anything specific. "The only communication I've had with Kelli was information on the initial deployments by the Klingon defense forces along the Neutral Zone and a letter today congratulating me on my promotion to Admiral."

"She actually sent you a message regarding the ships being assigned to the Zone? And, it was accurate?" Cartwright's expression softened and became thoughtful as he stared at Kirk.

Kirk fought the urge to smile and only nodded. "She did and it was. As for the current situation in the Zone, I have the same reports you do at this point. If I hear something from Kelli, I'll pass it along."

Cartwright stood and offered Kirk his hand. "I appreciate that, James. You know my personal feelings about Ramsey's loyalties, but I hope, in this case, that you're right about her," he said. "I'll be honest though, there is something bothering me about these pullbacks. The whole thing feels like some sort of set-up. Keep me informed."

"I will."

Kirk stared at the door after Cartwright left. The Admiral had come across as sincere, but it felt out of character. _Maybe, he's starting to see past his prejudices,_ Kirk thought. He turned and walked to his bedroom. "Computer, lights." The lights in the main room went out.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

(Empire)

.

.

Ramsey walked into the shrine and looked at the statue of Kahless. He had been a tall, proud man, the perfect image of a Klingon warrior, if this was an accurate representation. So much of the Klingon belief system and tradition came from Kahless' time; thirteen hundred years ago. It was hard to know what the truth of that time really was. There was a saying on Earth that applied to the Empire: 'History is written by the victor.' She wondered how much Klingon history had been rewritten over the past thirteen hundred years.

According to tradition, Kahless had given his people the _Codes of Honor_, a set of sayings and parables that were to help guide them. He understood the Klingon's violent nature and wanted to make sure they never let their bloodlust control them to the point of extinction. However, he also wanted them to take pride in who they were and in their strengths and skills as warriors. He tried to temper that pride and bloodlust by teaching the ways of honor. Ramsey knew she would be hard pressed to find anyone to admit it, but Kahless' definition of honor was the same as of many of the races of the Federation; including Terrans.

Now, over a millennia later, those codes were being twisted into a way of life that led to a pattern of oppression of other races. Klingons were warriors and warriors take what is theirs by right of strength. The ancient cry of unity and strength, 'We are Klingons,' had become a battle cry. Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew D'Ras was right about power being more important than honor within the Empire these days. Many Klingons longed for the days before the Organians had forced their treaty on them and the Federation. They had been confined to their own backyard for too long and were eager to get out.

There were many within the Empire who felt honor could only be achieved in battle. _They have forgotten that true honor can only come from within,_ Ramsey thought. _The true test of a warrior comes when the warrior has mastered their self and knows completely who they are._ When she thought about everything she had been through in her life, particularly in the last few months, Ramsey knew she could say she knew who she was. Perhaps, she had passed that final test of a warrior. If she was a true warrior, true to the _Codes of Honor_, could she consider playing D'Ras' game? "One does not achieve honor while acting dishonorably," she whispered.

Ramsey nodded respectfully to the statue of Kahless then turned to leave. "Remember always-you are my daughter," she thought she heard a voice say behind her.

Ramsey spun around, her hand going to her dagger. The austere shrine was empty except for herself and the statue of Kahless. There were no wall hangings or other decorations; no place an intruder could hide except for the small space behind the statue. With care, she approached the statue and stood next to the cold stone, listening for any sounds. She caught her breath for several seconds. Hearing nothing, except the pounding of her own pulse, she quickly stepped around the statue. There was no one there.

With a silent laugh at her paranoia, she shook her head, sheathed her dagger and left the room.

#

"Feeling better?" Ta'les asked when she entered their chambers.

"A little. I have a lot of work to do before the council meets tomorrow to hear D'Ras. I need to know what he's planning."

"Why not just challenge him and get it over with. He has offered you enough excuses to do so that you are beginning to look like coward for not accepting them. Defeat him in combat and there will no longer be any question about who leads the council."

"The same can be said, if I lose. There is too much at stake right now, for me to engage in a personal vendetta against D'Ras."

"There is also too much at stake for you let him continue playing these games. K'Lyssia!" Ta'les grabbed her shoulders. "Listen to me. He must be eliminated. If you will not challenge him, allow me to do so. You are my mate; by insulting you, he has insulted me. I can claim the right."

"No!" Ramsey stepped back, jerking away from her husband. "Personal honor is not the issue at this time. The preservation of the Empire is the issue." She paused then looked into Ta'les eyes. "You left Vulcan to be a warrior. In doing so, you went first to Romulus. Then you came to the Empire, and here you have remained. Do you believe the Empire is worth preserving?"

"I do. I have stood in defense of the Empire for many years."

Ramsey nodded then placed her hands lightly on her husband's shoulders. "Then continue to do so. The Empire must come first."

Ta'les bowed his head slightly. "Where do we start?" he asked, pulling away from her and sitting down at the computer.

"I need a copy of that _Fek'lhr_ cursed Organian Peace Treaty to review first. If D'Ras has found a loophole I want to know what it is before he brings it up in council."

"Easy enough." Ta'les typed several commands into the computer, then handed her a portable reader.

"Thanks. While I'm studying this, pull up the various deployments and ship orders for the areas along the Neutral Zone."

Ramsey went out to the balcony and sat on the cool stone with the information. She leaned back against the wall and glanced up at the dark sky. The stars were twinkling above her. "One way or another, I will stop this war," she said. She reached down and scratched at the palm of her right hand, opening the area where D'Ras' dagger had cut her earlier. She clenched her fist tightly, forcing several drops of blood out as she saluted the stars.

#

"_ghuy'cha_!" Ramsey said. "That _petaQ_ is right, there is a loophole. A _Fek'lhr_ cursed big one."

"How can that be?" Ta'les said, stepping out onto the balcony.

"Condition two of the treaty reads: 'Henceforth from this time, within a zone seven hundred and fifty parsecs in width between the adjacent territorial boundaries of both parties, no armed hostilities may take place between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets,'" Ramsey said. As she stood up, she flung the reader against the far wall.

Ta'les shook his head as the device shattered. "You are saying the only place the Empire and the Federation cannot fight is within the Neutral Zone?"

"That's what the treaty says." She gestured at the shattered reader. "This also explains why D'Ras didn't oppose the treaty. My opening up of the Neutral Zone played right into his hands."

Ramsey spun away from her husband and slammed her fist into the wall. "_ghuy'cha_! How could I have not seen through his cooperation?" She shook her hand then flexed the fingers checking the joints. "Did you get the information I requested?"

"I did. You are not going to like it."

"I already hate this whole situation. How can it get any worse?" Ramsey asked sitting down at the computer.

"By Kahless! Who issued these orders? Kor's approval isn't on them. However, they have the High Council Seal on them. That _petaQ_ has circumvented the High Command and issued orders in the name of the council without my approval. How dare he! How dare he!"

"K'Lyssia, are you sure he is the one doing this?"

"Look at the ships listed as being assigned to the Neutral Zone. All those ships are under the command of captains who owe D'Ras or his closest supporters their allegiance. Besides, Kor has an excellent information network in place. He would have told me if the High Command had given D'Ras their support."

"Look at these ships," Ta'les pointed to the screen.

"How did he manage this?" Ramsey stared at the list of ships scrolling by. "These ships are being recalled from the Neutral Zone. All of them are ships Kor and Kang specifically assigned to those sectors. No matter what I decide tomorrow, he has everything he needs to do this. If he starts a war with the Federation, I will be obligated to finish it."

"If you present this to the council tomorrow, they will have no choice but to side with you. D'Ras has no honor. He is planning a war in violation of a treaty signed by the council. He has acted in the name of the council, countermanding and overriding the orders of members of the High Command."

"But there is nothing here detailing any of that. Nor is his name on anything. He could just as easily claim I issued those orders. Did you happen to count his supporters earlier today, because I did? He has the support of the majority of the council. What I need is a way to expose him and warn the Federation."

"Perhaps, if you let him think you are willing to go along with him on this attack," Ta'les said.

"No." Ramsey shook her head. "He's too smart to believe that. I've fought that battle too much in council for anyone to believe my sudden change of heart." Ramsey jumped as the comm beeped.

"Yes! What is it?" she asked.

The computer screen lit up and Khem'Ra's lined face appeared. His gray eyes glittered brightly.

"Lady K'Lyssia," Khem'Ra said. "D'Ras has gathered his troops and guards on his holding. He has also contacted several of his supporters. He is planning on marching on the Hall–-tonight."

"Thank you for the warning, Khem'Ra."

"Shall I contact Ke'vheg of House Veska as well as marshal House DarkH's troops?"

"No. I'll deal with this. Your offer is appreciated."

"As you wish." Khem'Ra nodded once. "Kahless be with you." The comm channel closed.

"Ta'les, download all the information you can get out of the High Command computers. I don't have time to read it now, but it might have the information I need to warn the Federation about D'Ras."

"You are not going to fight him in council tomorrow, are you?" Ta'les frowned.

Ramsey stopped at the door to the bedroom and slowly turned to face her husband. "I know how it looks and sounds, but right now the most important thing is to stop this. He's not going to let me challenge him in council tomorrow. If he even lets me live that long." Ramsey reached out and touched her husband's face gently.

"Think about this logically for a minute," she said. "I have to warn the Federation first, then I can take care of D'Ras. As Leader of the High Council, I must place the Empire before my personal honor. Remember, only a fool fights in a burning house."

Ramsey stepped into the other room and quickly changed into an old, slightly tattered uniform. She removed all rank and insignia from the tunic. She added a gray cloak with hood to the uniform and the only weapons she carried were small and easily concealed. With a sigh, she picked up her _d'k tahg_ and cut her long black hair off at the shoulders.

"Now, what I need to do is get off this planet and to the Federation," Ramsey said softly.

"Here is the information," Ta'les said, handing her the computer tape. "I would suggest you exit the hall through one of the old passageways. I will stay behind and cover your escape when D'Ras and his guards arrive."

"And, what will become of you if you stay behind?"

"I will convince D'Ras I caught you breaking into the High Command's computer system with the intention of passing military information to the Federation. He has tried to convince many of the more powerful houses your treaty is only a ruse to make it easier for the Federation to attack us enough times he may actually believe it himself."

"You think you can convince him you actually betrayed me. I doubt it will be as easy as you claim."

"By doing this I can slow down his search and give you time to get out." Ta'les took her hands and held them tightly. "If you are determined to do this in this manner, you will need this time."

"Very well. As soon as you get the opportunity, contact Kang and tell him to meet me at Lursor Lake," Ramsey said. She turned away from Ta'les and pulled a small phaser out of her pocket. _Forgive me, my beloved,_ she thought. Before he could react, she turned and fired the weapon. "This will help your story," she said softly as she knelt down to check him. She touched his cheek gently and reached for their bond. She wasn't a telepath and she didn't know the protocols for separating a bonding, but tried anyway. Their bond was a strong one and she knew if something happened to her, Ta'les would die also. Something she didn't want.

When she was done, Ramsey stood up and quickly trashed the room to make it look like she and Ta'les had fought. She flung the chairs against the walls and overturned the tables. Picking up Ta'les' _d'k tahg_, she cut her left palm and flung the blood around the room. "I will stop this war," she said. She then placed the bloodstained weapon in Ta'les' hand. With a last look at her unconscious husband, Ramsey pulled the hood down to hide her face and left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

(Empire)

.

.

Ramsey slipped back into her chambers quietly, placed another tape into the computer, and started it downloading again. With any luck, D'Ras would think this was the only copy she had made. The computer beeped as the second copy was completed. Removing the duplicate, she replaced it with the first download. She typed several commands into the console. "Khem'Ra, Ke'vheg, I am sending this to both of you. On your honor and your oaths to the Empire and me, I want you to ensure this information finds its way to the Federation. Do your best to stall D'Ras, but don't risk starting a civil war. The time is not right, yet." She pressed another control. "Computer encrypt and transmit on a secure channel."

"Transmission complete," the computer said after a few minutes.

A slight moan warned her Ta'les would soon regain consciousness. Ramsey quickly changed the tapes again and hurried to the door. She stopped at the door and turned back for another glance at the life she was leaving. In one smooth motion, she pulled the small phaser and fired at the computer console. _Let someone try to figure out what was done on that console now,_ she thought.

As quickly as she could, Ramsey made her way back to the shrine. The Great Hall had once been Kahless' palace and there were secret ways in and out known only to Kahless and his children. Secrets passed from Lynsia, daughter of Kahless, to her children. Secrets, Raynia had passed to her daughter, K'Lyssia.

Ramsey slipped into the corner behind the statue of Kahless and waited, listening to the guards in the hallway. When the echoes of the heavy boots faded, she pressed a small tile marked with a diamond and dagger emblem. The same emblem Lynsia had adopted as her house seal after she had fled the palace.

A quick glance around the statue as a panel opened in the wall to her right showed no indication of movement or sound from the corridor. Ramsey knelt down and crawled through the opening. Once inside she pressed another tile marked with the same emblem and listened carefully as the panel closed behind her. She caught her breath for a moment as the darkness of the tunnel closed around her. Not even a flicker of light was visible to show where the door panel was.

Ramsey shifted around, leaned back against the cold stone, her knees against her chest, and took a deep breath. She could hear no sounds other than the steady drumming of her own heart. Klingon legends spoke of how the gods had made the first Klingon heart. Despite its strength, it had weakened from loneliness. The gods had taken pity on their creation and created a second heart to join the first. Together the two hearts became stronger until they beat as one. The power of the two Klingon hearts had been enough to destroy the very gods that had created them.

For a second she felt her own heart falter at the thought of leaving her husband. Together they were stronger, it told her. Ever so lightly, she touched the bond. :_Parted from me, yet never parted,_ she thought. :_We, who are one, will be together again._

:_K'Lyssia!_ She heard Ta'les' anguished cry in her mind.

Ramsey reached for the training she had received on Vulcan and did her best to block her mind from her husband. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sat in the darkness. She shuddered as she felt her husband's anger and grief leaking through her blocks. She couldn't afford to be distracted, not now. And, neither could Ta'les. They would both have to survive on their own until she could rendezvous with Kang. _May Kahless guide you, beloved,_ she thought. Her heart continued in its solitary beat. Not even a faint echo in the silence to remind her of Ta'les' presence.

#

"Where is she?" Ta'les heard D'Ras shout. "Where is your mate, Romulan?"

"I don't know, Lord D'Ras." Ta'les bowed his head respectfully as he slowly stood. He kept his hands away from his body with the palms out to show he had no weapons. "I found her accessing various council and High Command records. When I asked her about it, she said she was sending the information to the Federation. I tried to stop her, as you can see." He gestured at the disarray in the room. "I failed."

D'Ras backhanded Ta'les. "You think me such a fool, that I would believe this story? She is your mate," he said.

"She is my mate no longer." Ta'les spat on the floor, his blood and spit mixed together. "My loyalty is to the Empire and she has betrayed the Empire."

D'Ras stared at him for several seconds, glanced down at the green spot on the floor, and smiled. "You will stand with me before the council and tell them of Commodore Ramsey and the Federation's treachery when my guards find her. For now though, you will contact the council members and tell them Lady K'Lyssia has cancelled tomorrow's council session. You will give no reason, and answer no questions. If they press tell them it is the order of Lady K'Lyssia, Leader of the High Council."

"Yes, Lord." Ta'les saluted, then stepped over to the computer terminal. "This console is too badly damaged to use. There is a second communications console in the other room," he said, turning toward his wife's office. He hid his frown as D'Ras followed behind him to watch as he contacted the members of the High Council.

Ta'les hesitated before ordering the computer to open the channel to Khem'Ra, the last of those he had to contact. The council elder's lined face appeared on the small screen. His eyes darted to D'Ras standing behind the Vulcan and he scowled. "What do you want, Romulan?"

"Per the order of Lady K'Lyssia, Daughter of Raynia, Leader of the High Council, tomorrow's session of the High Council is cancelled." Ta'les slapped the control and closed channel before turning back around.

"Very good," D'Ras said, with a grin. The councilor headed for the door. "Bring him!" he ordered the guards still in the room.

Ta'les glanced at the two guards beside him and lowered his head as he followed D'Ras out of the palace.

He stumbled as he felt his wife touch their bond. :_K'Lyssia!_ He cried out her name in his mind. For a moment, they touched then her presence was gone. Where previously two hearts had beat as one, only a single heart could be heard.

#

How long she had sat there in the dark of the tunnel, Ramsey wasn't sure. However, the cramping in her legs told her it had been a while. It would take approximately an hour to make her way to this tunnel's exit, if she remembered correctly. "Time to get moving," she said softly, shifting around. She moved slowly through the dark tunnel, feeling carefully for any turns or drops she may have forgotten about. She stopped when she encountered a wall in front of her. The cold stone of the tunnel now surrounded her on three sides. As she ran her hand lightly along the walls, she touched a raised area. Ramsey traced her fingers over the area and smiled when she realized it was the diamond and dagger emblem of House Lynsia.

Had there been enough time for the guards to complete their search of the Great Hall and its areas? She was guessing it had been close to two hours since she originally entered the tunnel. Her hand hovered over the button and she listened for any sounds outside the tunnel. The only sound she could hear was the pounding drum of her heart.

Ramsey whispered a quick prayer to Kahless, drew her small phaser then pressed the button. The panel in front of her slid open. A quick glance through the opening showed no guards or bystanders in the area. She exited the tunnel and pressed up against the wall as her eyes adjusted. The door closed automatically behind her. She looked up at the brightening sky and smiled at the last few stars still visible in the pale light of dawn. The city was starting to wake and she needed to hurry. Even if she could get a shuttle, it would take several hours to reach Lursor Lake. She pulled her hood down a little more to ensure her features would stay properly obscured, then turned and walked away from the Great Hall and her life as Leader of the Klingon High Council. Even if she succeeded in stopping D'Ras, she didn't plan to return.

#

The sound of voices behind her caught her attention and Ramsey ducked into a small, darkly lit shop as a group of Imperial Guards passed. The council's guards were now part of those looking her. For a brief moment, she thought about contacting them. It was possible Khem'Ra had issued their orders and they would take her to him. She quickly dismissed that idea when she saw another guard, wearing the badge of House D'Ras approach the group. They spoke for a few minutes, the officer in charge of the council troops saluted and continued with his patrol.

The guard from House D'Ras walked over to the nearest comm terminal and entered several commands. He waited several minutes scanning the information on the screen then left.

_Damn, they've got the terminals monitored. I probably won't have time to try and transmit this information before the guards caught me,_ she thought.

Ramsey ducked out of the small shop before the shopkeeper could notice her and demand she buy something. She took a deep breath and scanned the street slowly. The guards had moved down the street toward the armory district; a large section of shops dedicated to selling various weapons as well as several training halls. The armory district would be the quickest way to the shuttle port, but it probably wasn't the safest. She turned in the opposite direction and headed for the central market.

It was high sun, before she reached the market. Ramsey was drenched in sweat as she made her way through the crowded streets of the central market. Keeping one hand on her hood to keep her features hidden she ignored the jostling and bumping as she headed for the north east corner of the market and the relative quiet of the temple district.

She passed several food stalls and her stomach growled at the smells of the food being prepared. She paused at a booth offering _ghargh_ and bought a small bowl. The vendor looked at her closely as she handed over the money. Ramsey kept her eyes down as she took the bowl.

She stopped at the corner of the row and glanced back at the booth. There were now two council guards talking to the vendor. She watched as the vendor pointed in the opposite direction from where she was. As the guards left, the vendor looked her way and raised a glass in salute. She nodded her thanks then turned away.

Klingon legends claimed they had destroyed the gods who created them, yet there were many temples and shrines scattered in this area. Most were shrines to Kahless and other great warriors of the past, but a few were dedicated to the _memory_ of the ancient gods who had given birth to the Klingon race. Like the shrine in the Great Hall, these shrines and temples were austere and very limited in their ornamentation.

She paused in the shadow of a shrine to Lady Lukara, Kahless' wife, and felt a cool breeze coming from the entrance. Wiping her face with her hand, she stepped into the shrine. She had been negligent in her duty to visit and honor the memory of the Lady Lukara. This was the first time she had set foot in the small shrine since her return to _Qo'nos_. The building was empty, not even a guardian was present as in many of the other shrines. A chill went through her body as she entered.

Pushing her hood back, Ramsey approached the statue of Lukara. She froze as she studied the features. The statue portrayed Lukara as wearing her hair cut with bangs. The ridges on her brow were still visible, despite being partially covered. The former leader of the High Council reached up and touched her own ridges. More delicate because of her human heritage, but still the same cat whisker-like appearance as the mother of her line founder Lynsia. She bowed deeply then turned and left the shrine.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

(Empire)

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.

It was late afternoon when Ramsey finally made it to the shuttle port. She stepped into an alley across from the main entrance as two guards, wearing the emblem of House D'Ras, walked past her. Her hand found the small phaser in her cloak pocket as the guards stopped and looked at her. She bowed her head and pretended to ignore them as she continued further into the alley. After a few seconds, she heard their footsteps as they walked away.

Ramsey stopped at the end of the alley, turning so her back was in the corner. That had been the third set of guards wearing the House D'Ras badge she had encountered since entering this district. She was beginning to wonder if she needed to rethink her plan to take a shuttle to Lursor Lake. It was fast becoming apparent to her that D'Ras knew she was going to try for a shuttle.

Ramsey leaned back against the wall and ran her hands through her sweat soaked hair. She cursed when her fingers caught and pulled at a large tangle. She walked back to the entrance to the alley and stood watching the shuttle port. There were four guards on duty, checking identifications as people entered and exited the port. Each person was carefully scrutinized and she noticed several were required to submit to retinal scans before being allowed to proceed.

While she waited, Ramsey spotted three groups of guards who appeared to be walking a perimeter around the building. One of the stationed guards glanced in her direction and Ramsey decided it was time to check the other entrances. She reached up, adjusted her hood, and then walked down the street.

At the next entrance, she noticed the guards were using scanners on those entering the port. It was the same at the other entry areas. "Damn," she muttered as she returned to the alley. At least in here she had a place to hide.

_This doesn't make sense,_ she thought. _All of the guards, except this set, are using scanning equipment. Is D'Ras trying to make this entrance look easier? And, if so–-why?_

The longer she watched, the more Ramsey saw the guards at this entrance getting lazy in their checks. With large groups, they seemed to be missing several people. _Must be getting close to the end of their shift,_ she thought. _This might be the break I need._ She slipped out of the alley and into a group of about twenty approaching the shuttle port. Careful to keep her hood in place, she looked at the house badges of those she was standing with. _By Kahless! They would have to be from House D'Ras!_

"Your pardon," a familiar voice said behind her, as she was jostled.

Without turning, she nodded and mumbled a mild curse. :_Kitten?_ She heard Ta'les voice in her mind. Ramsey hesitated for a second, then ignored the question and continued walking.

:_Kitten, D'Ras is to your right, speaking to the guards. Are you carrying a disrupter?_ Ta'les asked.

:_This is not the time. I told you, getting the information to the Federation is more important than personal honor or revenge!_

:_You misread my intentions. I do not think he believes my change in loyalties. I think we should stage a little act for him_

_:A disrupter? No, but I have a phaser,_ she sent. She glanced at the guards, who were ignoring D'Ras' group while the councilor talked to them. :_Ta'les, you should alert D'Ras that I am here. It will help to reinforce whatever it is you told him._ She slid the phaser out of the pocket and held it hidden in the folds of her cloak.

:_I do not like it, but I agree. Are you prepared?_

Ramsey took a deep, slow breath, turned slightly to her right and nodded.

She jerked away as Ta'les grabbed her hood and pulled it back. "Lord D'Ras!" he called.

Ramsey flipped the phaser to its widest beam setting and fired at D'Ras. The councilor and several of his guards fell to the ground. Another group of guards started toward her, drawing their disrupters. She sprinted for the door, firing blindly behind her. She dove into the entrance as a disrupter beam hit her hand causing her to drop the phaser. Ramsey slapped the door mechanism then ran down the corridor. She ducked into a darkened alcove when she heard the main doors opening. She crouched down in the far corner and listened as several groups went past.

When the corridor was silent again, Ramsey moved closer to the doorway to look at her hand. The back was charred and blistered and she couldn't move her fingers. On her palm was a smaller charred area where the energy of the weapon had gone completely through her hand. _I'm lucky the damned phaser didn't explode in my hand,_ she thought.

She moved to the back of the alcove, removed the cover to the ventilation shaft and quietly crawled in. Ramsey carefully reattached the cover and fastened it shut from the inside. If anyone thought to check it, they should find it secure.

As she made her way through the ventilation system, Ramsey was thankful this was one of the older buildings on Kronos. Many of the passageways she crawled through were carved from stone, which made it easier for her to remain quiet.

When she reached an area overlooking one of the shuttle decks, Ramsey was surprised no guards appeared to be present. D'Ras had made the guess she would try to get a shuttle. He knew she was here. It didn't make sense there were no guards here. She glanced around the area again, and noted the lack of any activity. No maintenance workers, no pilots or passengers. There was no one at all in the area.

_Too easy,_ she thought. _Way too easy._ Ramsey continued to watch the shuttle deck for what felt like an eternity. _Still no activity. Maybe D'Ras didn't realize I made it in. Maybe he sealed the port off and thinks to catch me trying to get into the building. No, that can't be right. They saw me enter the building. The _petaQ_ knows I'm here, so where are the _Fek'lhr_ cursed guards?_

She paused as she again studied the area. There were four shuttle decks and this one was the closest to the entrance she had come through. _It's beginning to make sense,_ she thought, _the lax security at a particular entrance, and the lack of obvious security on the deck closest to that entrance. There has to be a trap._ She took several deep breaths and sat with her face in her hands for several minutes. "_Fek'lhr_ take it," she said softly. "I'm committed at this point."

Ramsey worked the ventilation cover loose as quietly as she could manage. The scrape it made seemed to echo throughout the area. She froze and waited to see if there was any alarm or other reaction. Nothing. With the screen propped open, Ramsey checked the area directly below her hiding place. No one. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to Kahless, and whatever gods might be listening that she was wrong in her earlier assumptions, and her apparent luck would hold.

Before leaving the shaft, Ramsey removed a small pouch from her belt. She checked to verify the computer tape was still in it then slid it into a small crack in the wall. She glanced again at the apparently deserted shuttle deck and paused. She removed her boot daggers and wedged them into the crack also. _Maybe the Federation's paranoia over personal weapons will be useful here,_ she thought.

After making sure the daggers were secure, she carefully dropped out of the shaft and onto the floor, three meters below. Her boots made a loud thud as she hit the floor and she froze in place for several minutes waiting for the expected alarms to go off. They didn't.

When she reached the nearest shuttle, Ramsey's hand hesitated on the door lock. _What if the guards are on the shuttles? Too late now for second thoughts, Kelli Ramsey,_ she chided herself, as she touched the door lock. There was no sign of anyone on board when the door opened. With a sigh, Ramsey relaxed and released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She secured the door, then went to the control panel and began the engine start-ups. She leaned back in the chair and breathed another sigh of relief. _Looks like I just might make this work after all,_ she thought.

She checked the dials then reached for the ignition control when she saw the engines had completed their warm-up. There was the whine of a transporter beam behind her and Ramsey froze as she felt something press into the back of her neck. "Shut everything down, _maghwI'_," she heard a voice say as she reached for the controls.

"No!" Ramsey spun the chair around quickly and tried to grab the weapon from the guard behind her. She fell to the floor as another guard hit her across the back of the head with his disrupter.

"Lord D'Ras, we have the traitor," she heard the guard say as blackness claimed her.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

(Empire)

.

.

The first thing Ramsey noticed, as consciousness returned, was a persistent buzzing in her ears. She waved her hand several times past her head, but the buzzing continued. _Wait a minute; there aren't any mosquitoes on Kronos,_ she thought. She brought her arms under her and rolled over onto her back. A burning sensation stung her eyelids and she noticed their bright red coloration. She opened her eyes in a narrow slit then snapped them closed as the glare from the lights pierced through the veil of her lashes.

Ramsey rolled back over to protect her eyes from the intensity of the lights. She reached back, ripped the hem of her shirt, and used the cloth to create a blindfold. Still shielding her eyes with a hand over the blindfold, she rolled back over. When she lowered her hands from the blindfold, Ramsey still felt some of the heat from the glaring lights, but the redness was gone–-shielded by the cloth. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Despite the protection across her eyes, they still tingled and burned. The buzzing that woke her was getting louder and she found it hard to concentrate. _Damn you, D'Ras,_ she thought.

Ramsey fought to keep her eyes open and look around the room. She was puzzled by the yellow color of the cloth she had used as her blindfold. The uniform she put on earlier had been dark gray. On a hunch she lifted her arm and rubbed at the sleeve with her left hand and frowned at the almost metallic feel in one area. Her right hand went to her chest and she found what felt like a small patch in the upper left area. It was roughly triangular shaped. _Enterprise's delta shield? A Starfleet uniform! That conniving_ petaQ _had his guards put me in a Starfleet uniform!_

Despite the blindfold, the brightness of the light illuminated the area, helping her to move around. There was nothing in the small cell she was in, not even a bunk. _This isn't a prison cell then, probably a holding cell. But, where?_ she thought. _D'Ras is trying to seize control of the council. And, he needs to do it in such a way as to have the backing of my supporters if possible. He had me dressed in a Starfleet uniform, and his guards called me a traitor. He has made a formal accusation of treason then. That means this is probably one of the holding cells for the Imperial Court._

Ramsey lay back down and covered her head with her arms, in an attempt to shut out the buzzing. It didn't help. As she lay there, Ramsey realized if she did manage to block the light and noise this way, as soon as she began to relax, the lights and buzzing would wake her. _How long is D'Ras going to keep me here?_ she wondered.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when the buzzing stopped. Ramsey raised her head; no yellow glow met her eyes as she blinked behind the cloth. She carefully removed the blindfold; there was nothing but blackness. An echo of the buzzing still rang in her ears. She tried to jerk away as she felt someone grab her arm and start to lift her up. A sudden blow across her face sent her sprawling back to the floor.

"The _Ha'DIbaH_ thinks to show us her teeth," a deep voice said with a laugh.

"They didn't say she had to appear in perfect condition," another voice said.

Ramsey struggled to get back up, only to have her legs kicked hard. She cried out as she hit the floor again. Before she got back up, Ramsey took a deep breath and fought her anger down. _This is not the time._ She was unable to see clearly where the guards were and the echo of the buzzing made it difficult to judge their location from sounds. She held her hands out, wrists together. One of the guards grabbed her hands and yanked her to her feet. Still fighting her anger, Ramsey allowed herself to be escorted out of the cell.

After a long walk, the guards stopped and placed her hands on a cold metal rail. She could hear the sounds of loud conversations coming from above her. Ramsey tightened her grip on the rail as she realized her guess had been right. _D'Ras was able to get his kangaroo court together quickly,_ she thought.

Ramsey felt her knees buckle slightly, and she locked her arms to brace herself on the rail, as the platform she was standing on began to move. By the time it stopped at the top of the tunnel, she was shaking. This was a feeling she wasn't use to. She was used to being in control. She was a Klingon warrior, the head of House Lynsia, the Leader of the High Council and a Starfleet officer. She would not be a willing victim to D'Ras' ambition. She forced herself to release her grip on the rail and stand straight as she faced her unseen accusers.

As she tried to see what was around her, Ramsey noticed several darker areas moving in front of her. The blindness caused by the brightness of the holding cell was fading.

"Members of the High Council, lords of the noble houses, ranking officers of the High Command, here stands a traitor to the Empire," she heard D'Ras saying.

"It is not I, but you, D'Ras, who are the traitor to the Empire!" Ramsey said.

"Silence!" The judge's deep voice echoed in the room. "You will given an opportunity to speak once the accusation has been properly presented."

_That is not Khem'Ra's voice,_ she thought. As the eldest member of the High Council Khem'Ra was the appointed judge for all cases involving members of the council. _D'Ras knows he would support me in this. The question now is-who did D'Ras replace him with? Will he be impartial or am I condemned already?_ _Probably the later. However, I will face this as Kahless himself would, with pride and defiance._

"K'Lyssia, daughter of Raynia, head of House Lynsia and Leader of the High Council," D'Ras continued. Ramsey followed the sound of his voice, trying to focus on him. All she could make out were light and dark shadows.

"As a member of one of the eldest of the noble houses, K'Lyssia can claim direct line descent from Kahless himself; an impressive lineage for any Klingon. Most would not expect this line to produce a traitor, yet traitor she is."

"On what evidence do you make this accusation?" Ramsey asked suddenly.

There was a sudden outburst of noise from those assembled. Ramsey heard the judge hit the large metal sphere several times against his table. "Silence!" he shouted over the din.

"This is the last time I will instruct the prisoner to remain silent until she is directed to speak," the judge said, after the noise in the chamber died down.

"Evidence which shows you intended to pass military information to our enemies within the Federation," D'Ras said.

Ramsey bit her lip and refused to answer the challenge in D'Ras' voice. She knew she couldn't afford to antagonize the judge any further. He had already warned her twice about speaking out of turn. If she did it again, he could have her removed from the court. If that happened, she wouldn't get a chance to address those here.

"Last night, K'Lyssia, also known as Commodore Kelli Ramsey of the Federation Starfleet, accessed and downloaded information from the High Command's computer system. Information on ship deployments along the Neutral Zone. Information on defense strategies as well as ship specifications. Her mate, Ta'les, questioned her actions. She told him she intended to take the information to the Federation," D'Ras said.

The court erupted with noise as those there began shouting. "_maghwI'_!" The shouts and condemnation echoed in the room.

Ramsey took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly to stop the tears welling up in them. _Traitor,_ she thought. The accusation burned in her ears and her heart. She forced herself to stand as straight as she could and hold her head up.

The judge ordered the crowd to be silent several times, before the noise dropped enough to continue. "K'Lyssia, daughter of Raynia," he said finally, "you stand before this court accused of treason against the Empire. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Ramsey turned in the direction of the voice and blinked several times as her eyesight continued to clear. She could make out the hooded figure of the judge in his box above the assembly. "Yes!" She squared her shoulders and stood defiantly as she faced the judge and the spectators.

"As Leader of the High Council it is my right to review all High Command files. I accessed information regarding ship deployments along the Neutral Zone as is my right and my duty." She paused as the crowd began yelling again.

"However!" she shouted, trying to be heard over the noise. "However, I did what I did to preserve the Empire, not betray it." Ramsey turned towards D'Ras.

"This _petaQ_," she said, gesturing toward the councilor. "Is the true traitor! He is planning to strike against the Federation without the backing of the council and in direct violation of treaties we have signed. Is honor so far gone within the Empire we no longer uphold our sworn word? Do our oaths no longer mean anything?" Ramsey was surprised at the silence that followed her words. _Perhaps some are actually considering my words,_ she thought.

"We have all heard D'Ras words of war. He has even claimed he found a way around the restrictions imposed by the Organians. I have studied the treaty and he is correct in his claim." The room again erupted in noise. Several people began cheering and stamping their feet. Ramsey frowned at the raised _bat'leths_ and other weapons held by those in the crowd.

"But!" She struggled to be heard over the noise. "But, what he is planning will endanger the Empire. We cannot make the mistake of believing that because the Federation talks peace, they are weak. Only a strong warrior, one who is able to defend themselves, truly talks peace. The weak warrior postures and threatens until he is forced to surrender. Have all of you forgotten the teachings of Kahless, or do you choose to ignore them?"

A sudden silence fell over the room. Then a single voice called out. "She is an Earther, raised in the Federation. What does she know of Kahless or honor?"

Ramsey ignored the speaker and stepped up to D'Ras. "I have lived in the Federation. I tell you they are not as weak as you would have the council believe. They do not believe the opposite of war is peace–-they believe it is vigilance."

She turned back to face the judge. "To win a battle, but lose an empire is no victory. To end a battle, but save an empire is no defeat. D'Ras is the traitor. He would destroy the Empire to achieve personal glory. What I have done, I did to preserve the Empire," Ramsey said.

The chamber was silent as everyone waited for the judge to speak again. The silence extended for several minutes, before the judge finally spoke. "Daughter of Raynia, it is the decision of this court that you did intend to pass military information to the Federation. The council authorization on the orders recalling several ships from the Neutral Zone contains your personal codes. This shows you are the one responsible for decreasing our defenses in that area. In a recent incident, a Federation vessel crossed into Klingon space and destroyed two Imperial Cruisers. This, in a sector where several ships were recalled under your authorization."

"They were not! I issued no such orders!"

"The records show that you did," D'Ras said softly in her ear.

Ramsey spun around. "You lying _petaQ_," she said harshly. "How did you get my codes?" She felt her hands clenching as she took a step toward D'Ras.

"That is my secret, Commodore." D'Ras took several steps back from her.

Two of the guards stepped forward on either side of Ramsey, their hands resting on their daggers as they watched her. She took a deep breath and stepped back from D'Ras.

"It is my judgment you are guilty of the charge as brought forward by Councilor D'Ras," the judge continued. "Until the council meets to confirm the succession, D'Ras is named as temporary Leader of the High Council. Guards, take her back to her cell." The judge slammed the large metal sphere down on the desk, signaling the end of the court session.

Ramsey glanced around the chamber, and noticed Kang standing near one of the guards watching her. She managed to give him a weak smile. Kang nodded once then saluted with his _d'k tahg_ in his fist. Ramsey's smile strengthened at his promise of vengeance. _Don't let the quest for vengeance blind you to what is truly important,_ she thought. _This war must be stopped, or your promise will be meaningless._

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard as the guards took control of her arms and escorted her back to the platform to return to the holding cell. _Unless a miracle happens,_ she thought, _D'Ras has won._


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

(Federation)

.

.

"Admiral, you have a call from Intelligence-Admiral Honeycutt," Riley said, standing in the door.

Kirk looked up from the report he was reading and nodded to his attaché. "Put it through," he said.

"Kirk, we have a problem," Honeycutt said when the viewer flickered to life.

Kirk sighed and swallowed. _Here it comes,_ he thought. "Let me guess–-the Klingons," he said.

"I think you should come to my office. This is not something we should be discussing over an open comm channel."

Kirk nodded. "Give me a few minutes."

"I'll be expecting you." The viewer clicked off.

Kirk stepped out of his office. "Riley, anything I need to be aware of going on in the next few hours?"

The young Lt. Commander glanced at a small calendar pad and flipped through a few pages. "No, Sir. Your schedule is clear for the rest of the day."

"I will be in a meeting with Admiral Honeycutt, for the next few hours. I'll contact you when I'm done. Until then, I'm not available."

"Understood."

#

Starfleet Intelligence had most of its offices in the lower levels of the Headquarters building. The dungeon, as many referred to the area, was entered through a simple black door with the motto, _Knowledge is Power and Strength_, over it.

"Admiral Honeycutt is expecting me," Kirk told the security officer standing inside the door.

"Third door on the right, Sir." The dark-haired lieutenant stood at attention as Kirk passed.

The doors to Admiral Honeycutt's office opened as Kirk approached. The lights were dim as he entered the office and Kirk paused in the doorway for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the change from the brighter lights of the corridor. As the door closed behind him, he looked around the large room. Stacked on the bookcases that lined one wall were numerous file folders, papers and padds. Despite the haphazard appearance of the items, he was sure Honeycutt knew exactly what information was where.

"Have a seat, James." Admiral Michael Honeycutt was seated at his desk, a frown on his face as he watched Kirk.

"What's going on?" Kirk asked.

"I received a very disturbing report from one of my operatives in the Empire. Two nights ago, a large force from House D'Ras marched on the Great Hall. Ta'les was seen leaving with them. There was no sign of K'Lyssia. The next morning, guards from House D'Ras were checking identifications on everyone leaving the Capital City. Councilor D'Ras also made several personal visits to councilors known to support K'Lyssia."

"Do we know the purpose of these visits?" Kirk asked.

Honeycutt nodded. "We have an idea," he said. He turned the viewer on his desk to face Kirk then pressed a button. The screen flickered and an out of focus picture appeared; the fuzziness prevented identification of the person on the screen.

"Yesterday, D'Ras visited the holdings of several of the council members," the wavering figure said. "Primarily those that supported Council Leader K'Lyssia. It should be noted Ta'les accompanied him on these visits. D'Ras spent approximately an hour with each councilor, discussing the recent disappearance of Lady K'Lyssia. He put forth the idea she had returned to the Federation with critical information on the Empire's defense strategies. Ta'les supported these accusations. D'Ras also informed them he had been named leader pro-tem of the High Council in Lady K'Lyssia's absence. As to why he was named as such and not Chancellor Gorkon was not explained." The screen went blank.

"This can't be good," Kirk muttered.

"Actually it is worse than it appears on first glance." Honeycutt leaned back in his chair and looked at Kirk, his clear blue eyes darkening. "I do not believe K'Lyssia vanished voluntarily."

"A coup?" Kirk felt his stomach tightening as Admiral Honeycutt slowly nodded. "Do your operatives have any ideas regarding her whereabouts?"

"My people are working on it. We do suspect D'Ras is holding her somewhere. After all, she can provide valuable information on Starfleet tactical operations."

"Kelli wouldn't do that! She may be half Klingon and sworn to certain oaths as the legitimate head of their government. But, she takes her oaths to the Federation and Starfleet just as seriously."

Honeycutt grinned as he leaned forward slightly. "I didn't say she would voluntarily give D'Ras the information." His smile changed to a scowl and his ice blue eyes darkened to a gray storm cast. "But, you know as well as I do, the Klingons have some very effective interrogation techniques."

Kirk sat straighter in his chair, his eyes locked with Honeycutt's. "We need to get her out of there."

"That or find a way to negate the risk."

Kirk stared at the head of Starfleet Intelligence for several seconds. "You're not serious?" he whispered.

Honeycutt's gaze didn't flicker as he looked at Kirk. "I am. I have already issued orders to my people on Kronos. If they cannot get her out, they are to do whatever is necessary to neutralize her. Sorry, James, that is the way it has to be; too much is at stake. Kelli would understand."

"I know. Thanks for the information."

"Sorry it was bad."

Kirk stood up. "At least we know something about what is going on."

"True. And, we can safely assume that with D'Ras in control of the council, the Empire will begin acting in a more aggressive manner."

Kirk nodded politely then left the office.

#

Kirk sat in his office and stared at the reports scattered across his desk. Nowhere the number of reports and files he had seen on Admiral Honeycutt's desk. _There has to be a way to get Kelli out of there,_ he thought. He slapped the intercom button on his desk. "Riley, contact Admiral Nogura. Find out how soon he can see me."

"Aye, Sir."

Kirk sat thinking about what he was going to do. He had never performed the rituals that would have broken his _Iw' ruStay_ with K'Lyssia, and was still a member of her house. As a member of House Lynsia, he had the right to be in the Empire. However, he was a Starfleet officer and a Terran-he doubted he would have time to explain he was a part of a noble Klingon house to any Klingons he ran into. Moreover, he seriously doubted, even if he had the time, he could convince them he was the 'brother' of Lady K'Lyssia.

He needed help, but, where to get it? His crew was scattered, in new assignments and he didn't think he would be able to pull them together on this short of notice. Scotty was busy with Enterprise's refit; Chekov was at the Security Academy, Sulu and Uhura were temporarily assigned to the Lexington, which had left last week on an Academy training cruise. Then there was Spock and McCoy, both of whom had resigned their commissions and left Starfleet. Spock was back home on Vulcan and McCoy was currently attending a medical conference on Sherman's Planet.

Kirk thought briefly about contacting Admiral Honeycutt again and getting the names of his people on Kronos, then decided against it. _There's no way Mike would risk his agents by giving out their names. Besides, he'll figure out what I'm up to soon enough and let them know to contact me if it's warranted,_ he thought.

Kirk stood and walked to the window. Light reflected off the water of the bay, flickering like thousands of candles on blue-green satin. _So, it's just me. What about help from within the Empire? Problem is, I don't know who Kelli's supporters are now._ Kirk's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. He turned to see Riley standing there. "Yes," he asked.

"Sorry, Admiral, you were ignoring the buzzer–-again. Admiral Nogura said you could come up to his office now. He's got a few minutes he can spare you."

"Thanks. Look after things till I get back," Kirk said.

"Aye, Sir."

#

"Jim, what did you need to talk to me so urgently about?" Nogura asked as soon as Kirk entered the Commander in Chief's office.

"Commodore Ramsey," Kirk said.

"What has she done now?" another voice asked.

Kirk turned toward the speaker, standing in the corner to his right. "Admiral Cartwright," he said. "I wasn't aware you would be here." Kirk returned his attention to Admiral Nogura and ignored Cartwright.

"I just spoke to Admiral Honeycutt. Apparently what we hoped wouldn't happen–-has. K'Lyssia has been removed from her position as Leader of the High Council. We don't know all the details at this time. What we do know is that D'Ras is currently leading the council," Kirk said.

"He's the one that favors attacking the Federation?" Nogura asked.

"He is. Admiral Honeycutt's information indicates there is a probability he is holding K'Lyssia. If that's true it could be a serious problem."

"A problem that wouldn't exist if you had listened to me in the first place," Cartwright said. He stepped up to stand next to Kirk. "Sorry, James, but it is starting to look like I was correct after all."

Admiral Nogura silently regarded both of them, but didn't say anything. Kirk shifted under Nogura's steady gaze.

"I warned you Ramsey was a serious risk to the Federation because of her ties to the Empire. Now, see where we are. A person with extensive knowledge of our defense strategies and doctrine is in the hands of a Klingon government that wants to go to war with the Federation," Cartwright said.

"But, not for the reasons you've claimed. Kelli Ramsey is not a traitor to the Federation," Kirk said.

"That is yet to be seen. She _is_ Klingon after all. Perhaps this will show us all where her true loyalties actually are."

"Cartwright, why don't you give up on this obsession of yours and give Kelli the credit she deserves. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have the treaty we have with the Empire."

"A treaty that opened the Neutral Zone. Kirk, have you ever read the actual terms of the Organian treaty? That Neutral Zone is the only buffer between the Klingons and us. It's the only place where hostilities are _not_ allowed to break out. Now, the Klingons have free access to that area and they have been moving their ships across it into position to strike the Federation. In addition to that, there is now a new person in charge of the Klingon government–-one who favors a war with the Federation. If you ask me it seems a little too coincidental."

Kirk spun to face Cartwright. "Almost everyone in Starfleet knows how you feel about Kelli. Quite a few even know the circumstances that prompted your vendetta against her. Why don't you give it a rest? Right now, we need to figure out what to do to protect her and the information she has."

Cartwright glared at him, then smiled. "I'm sure Intelligence has operatives on Kronos and they are already working on neutralizing the situation," he said.

"Gentlemen," Nogura said, shaking his head slightly. "Cartwright, I believe you've made your point. That's all I need from you at this time."

"Yes, Sir." The dark-skinned Admiral saluted then left the office.

"Jim," Nogura said after Cartwright left. "I take it you're already planning something."

The Admiral raised his hand, before Kirk could answer. "No, I don't want to know what it is, but go ahead. Keep in mind this is completely unofficial. Starfleet _cannot_ sanction you going into the Empire to rescue Ramsey. She is still a Klingon and a recognized head of state. The Empire could make a claim we kidnapped her. Be careful," he said.

"Aye, Sir." Kirk saluted, then turned and left the office. _Now, how do I get there,_ he thought as the door closed behind him.

Captain James T. Kirk had had a reputation as a maverick. For doing things on his own with little to no regard for what the upper echelons of command would think. He had known that sometimes the ends did justify the means. He only hoped Admiral Kirk was still capable of acting the same way. He didn't think he had changed much in only three months behind a desk, but it was such a different world from that of a starship, he wasn't sure.

#

"Hunter," Kirk called, seeing the fighter captain walking across the quad. He waited as she walked over to him. A breeze was blowing off the bay, bringing a chill to the early afternoon air. Passersby ignored him as they hurried to their offices and classes.

The two of them fell into step together. "What's up?" Hunter asked.

"When is Aerfen scheduled to leave?" Kirk asked.

"Tomorrow. Why?"

"I need a favor. What's the fastest you can have her ready to leave?"

"I have to check, but I think the best that's going to happen is six hours." Hunter stepped in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. "What's this all about? Why are we playing twenty questions regarding Aerfen's departure time?"

Kirk looked around. There were still too many people on the quad. "I can't go into the details here. But, I need Aerfen ready to leave as soon as possible."

"To go where?"

"Kronos," Kirk said softly.

"Kronos?" Hunter's voice was harsh as she whispered the name. She dropped her arms and placed her hands on her hips as she stared at Kirk. "Why in the name of all that's holy would you be going there?"

Kirk met the anger and suspicion in Hunter's eyes with calm. "I'll explain the details after we're under way. This mission is unofficial. If you want out, I need to know now; before I tell you what it's about."

Hunter stared at him for several minutes. "If anyone else wanted me to do this without giving me any information, I'd say no. But, I know you. I'll help."

"Thanks. Contact me when Aerfen's ready. I'll beam up then."

"Understood. Now, if you'll excuse me," she opened her communicator, "Hunter to Aerfen. One to beam up."

Kirk stepped back and watched his friend as she vanished.

#

"Do you have everything you need for the next couple of weeks, if I'm gone that long," Kirk asked his attaché.

"Yes, Sir," Riley said, nodding.

"If anyone asks where I went?" Kirk asked.

"You're following up on the recent intelligence reports from the Neutral Zone and will be out of contact for several days."

"Good," Kirk said, looking around his office again. He walked over to the wall holding his Klingon sash and weapons. He took one of the daggers down and looked at it. Engraved on the hilt was the House Lynsia diamond imposed over the Enterprise's delta shield. Kelli had specifically designed the emblem for him. He placed the dagger in his right boot.

Riley tilted his head, asking without actually voicing the question–-why? Kirk only shrugged. He didn't know why himself, but something told him he should take it with him.

The intercom beeped and Riley left the office. A minute later, he stepped back in. "Admiral, a message from Captain Hunter. She requests you meet her at the Grove in thirty minutes. Be ready to transport to Aerfen."

"Thanks." Kirk nodded, then headed for the door.

"Good luck, Sir." He heard Riley say behind him.

#

"Okay, Jim what's going on?" Hunter asked as he entered the secluded area.

"I told you I would discuss it after we were underway," he said.

"You're asking me to take my crew into Klingon space on an unofficial mission. I think I deserve to know why before we leave. Give me the edited version now, you can get into the details later."

Kirk hesitated for a moment before answering. He had known Hunter for many years and knew he could trust her, but this matter so complicated. Meeting Hunter's eyes, he nodded. "Did you know Commodore Kelli Ramsey?" Kirk asked.

"I've heard of her. She was captain of the Excalibur for a while. Last I understood; she was working for Admiral Cartwright over in Tactical Operations. What's she got to do with this?"

"Ramsey is being held by a member of the Klingon High Council."

"Then why is this unofficial? I'd think Starfleet would be willing to back a rescue mission."

"I can't go into that at this time, other than to say this is the way Admiral Nogura wants it. As for his reasons, I agree with them."

Hunter stared at Kirk for several minutes. He knew she was weighing the risks of committing her ship and crew on an unofficial mission with almost no information against the trust she had in him. "Okay, for now. I reserve the right to change my mind before we actually enter Klingon space," she finally said.

Kirk nodded. "Fair enough."

Hunter opened her communicator. "Hunter to Aerfen."

"Aerfen. Go ahead," came the reply.

"Ilya, two to beam up."

"Aye."

"Hunter, I need to stop at K-Seven on the way," Kirk said, before the transporter beam touched them.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

(Federation)

.

.

Kirk looked around as he and Hunter entered the bar on Space Station K-Seven. He saw it was still much as he remembered it: with a couple of notable exceptions. There were members of several different species, Andorian, Vulcan, Tellerite, Terran and others, mingling and having drinks. However, there were no Klingons and _no_ tribbles present. He smiled as he remembered the tall, lanky bartender standing behind his counter surrounded by the balls of fur and Cyrano Jones shuffling around picking up the individual creatures, stuffing them into his pockets.

"Just what do ya mean, I can't get a mint julep?" Kirk heard a familiar sarcastic southern drawl ask. He looked at Hunter and nodded towards the gentleman at the bar with his back towards them. Still smiling, Kirk approached the bar.

"Just what I said," the bartender replied. "You can't get a mint julep, because my drink computer doesn't have the formula for a mint julep."

"I've never heard of anything so ridiculous."

"But, in that case, you'll take a saurian brandy," Kirk said.

"Jim! Hi, Hunter." McCoy said, when he saw Kirk and Hunter standing next to him.

"Hi Bones, how's the conference going?" Kirk asked.

"The Klingons canceled it-without notice. What brings you two out here?" McCoy picked up his drink and motioned to an empty table in the back corner.

Kirk waited until they were seated. "Starfleet Intelligence has been picking up some unusual activity along the border and in the Neutral Zone."

"Doesn't sound good," McCoy took a drink of his brandy.

"It isn't." Kirk looked around and lowered his voice slightly. "According to our Intelligence operatives on Kronos, K'Lyssia is missing and D'Ras is in control of the council. I'm sure you know what that could mean." McCoy looked at him and nodded. Neither of them wanted to say it aloud. It could mean war.

"I'm going to Kronos to assess the situation. Since your conference has been canceled why don't you join me?" Kirk asked.

"I don't know." McCoy paused for a moment. "I'm not in Starfleet anymore."

"Bones, we both knew K'Lyssia when she was Kelli Ramsey and a Starfleet officer. If D'Ras has her, she is not going to be in very good shape when we find her. She'll need medical attention. Besides, it'll be like old times."

"Old times have never included breaking someone out of a prison in Klingon space. Chances are, someone will have to break us out," McCoy said with a frown.

"Wait a minute," Hunter said. "Are you two saying Commodore Kelli Ramsey is the same person as K'Lyssia; the current head of the Klingon government?" Hunter's eyes darted from McCoy to Kirk.

"Lower your voice," Kirk whispered harshly.

"Sorry."

The trio sat in silence for several minutes, sipping their drinks. Kirk glanced around and noticed that no one seemed to paying any extra attention to them then continued. "That's exactly what we're saying. Starfleet didn't admit they were the same person for political reasons," Kirk said.

"This doesn't make sense. How did a ranking Starfleet officer become the leader of the Empire?" Hunter asked.

"I'm still wondering about that myself," McCoy murmured.

"It's a long story. Suffice it to say, for now at least, she earned it as a Klingon warrior," Kirk said.

"A Klingon warrior? Then maybe there is some truth to the rumors," Hunter said.

"Which rumors?" Kirk and McCoy asked together.

"That she's a Klingon agent," Hunter said.

"Where did you hear that?" Kirk asked.

Hunter cocked her head and frowned. "My helmsman, Marko Stefano. Why?"

"He's also the one who told you about Ramsey's sensor ghost isn't he? How well do you know him?" Kirk asked.

"Jim?" McCoy said. "What are you thinking?"

"Just a minute, Bones. Hunter?"

"He transferred to Aerfen about two months ago. What's this about, Jim?"

"I thought we had stopped most of those rumors three months ago. Plus, you've been patrolling the Neutral Zone; away from the rumor mills," Kirk said. "Out of curiosity, where did he transfer from?" Kirk ignored the dangerous narrowing of Hunter's eyes.

"Tactical Operations," Hunter said.

"Cartwright!" McCoy whispered.

"Admiral Cartwright?" Hunter looked from Kirk to McCoy. "What's he got to do with this?"

"He and Kelli have a mutual hate agreement between them. He's the one that originally started the rumors and has tried at least once to set Ramsey up as a traitor to the Federation," Kirk said.

"And, that has what to do with Marko?"

"Intelligence has had no proof the Empire has Ramsey's sensor ghost, but Cartwright has stated he believes they do. Then something happens on the border and a new transfer, who just happens to have worked for Admiral Cartwright, suggests the use of a sensor ghost by the Klingons. Coincidence? Maybe," Kirk said. "But, I doubt it," he added after several seconds.

Kirk glanced at McCoy, expecting a comment but the doctor only nodded.

Hunter's communicator beeped. "Hunter," she said after opening the gold screen.

"Hunter, a Klingon cruiser just de-clocked in orbit of the station!" Ilya said.

"Red alert! Three to transport," Hunter said.

"Admiral Kirk, please come to the station manager's office," an announcement came over the station intercom.

"Ilya, belay that transport order. Maintain alert status. I'll contact you shortly," Hunter said as the three of them stood and left the bar.

#

"My dear Captain Koloth," Kirk said when he entered the office and saw the Klingon sitting on the corner of the desk.

Koloth stood and bowed slightly. "My dear Admiral Kirk. Salutations to you also, Doctor McCoy."

Kirk nodded to the Klingon Captain. Their playful sarcasm towards each other went back to a time when the forced politeness had been a cover for their mutual distrust and dislike of each other.

"What can I do for you?" Kirk asked.

Koloth glanced at the station manager. "It is a private matter."

"Manager Lurry, would you excuse us, please," Kirk said.

"Of course Admiral." Lurry glanced at Koloth then Kirk, shrugged and left the room.

"Now, explain what you're doing in Federation territory," Hunter demanded.

Koloth looked at Hunter then turned his attention back to Kirk. He inclined his head towards Hunter. "Who is this?" he asked.

"Captain Koloth, may I present Captain Hunter of the Aerfen. Before you ask-yes, she is aware of who K'Lyssia is. I assume that's why you're here," Kirk said.

"It is. Listen, Kirk, I do not like the idea of involving Starfleet in an Imperial matter. You, I can accept. You are bond brother to K'Lyssia and a member of her house. What involves her, also involves you," Koloth said.

"So what's going on? All I've heard so far is nothing more than rumors," Kirk said. He walked around the desk to sit in the chair.

Koloth glanced at Hunter then stood and turned his attention back to Kirk. "D'Ras accused K'Lyssia of being a spy for the Federation and had her removed from her position. He is leading the council for now. Kang asked me to meet you here and request that you come to the Empire. He and Kor are trying to locate where D'Ras is holding K'Lyssia and will rendezvous with us approximately one day out from _Qo'nos_," Koloth said.

"How did Kang know I would be here?" Kirk asked.

"I do not know. He has his sources. Will you come?"

"I need some time to get some things together," McCoy said.

"Do not take long." Koloth handed Kirk a communicator. "Contact me when you are ready." The Klingon bowed again then opened his communicator. "_jol ylchu'_," he said. A few seconds later, the Klingon vanished in the sparkle of a transporter beam.

"I want a full explanation of what's going on, Admiral," Hunter demanded after Koloth left.

"Jim, I'm going to get my stuff together. I'll meet you back here as soon as I'm ready," McCoy said. "Good luck," he said, glancing at Hunter as he went out the door.

"Thanks," Kirk said.

Hunter locked the office door after McCoy left then turned to face Kirk. "Well?" she asked.

"Shortly after Enterprise's return to Earth, Commodore Ramsey was placed in command. Admiral Cartwright assigned me to watch her. He all but promised to block my promotion if I could prove the allegations he had made against her."

"And, what were these allegations?" Hunter's posture did not relax as she stared at him.

"That she was a Klingon agent." Kirk stood and looked out the window at the Aerfen and the Klingon cruiser.

"How did she go from being a potential spy to the head of the Klingon Empire?" Hunter asked.

"Turns out she's the niece of K'Lyion, who was Leader of the High Council at that time"

"Even if she was related to Kahless himself, I can't believe the Klingons would allow a half human Starfleet officer to become head of their government."

"It wasn't easy," Kirk said, telling her about his visit to the Klingon homeworld and Ramsey's installation as Leader of the Klingon High Council.

Hunter stared at him for several minutes after he finished. "Life dealt her a pretty lousy hand," she finally said.

Kirk nodded.

Hunter pulled out her communicator. "I better get back to the Aerfen," she said.

"You sure you don't want to go with us?" Kirk asked.

"I can't. If this explodes into war, I'll be of more use with my squadron than with you. Besides, I want to check out your suspicions regarding Marko."

"Fair winds, Hunter." Kirk gave her a quick hug, wondering when or if he would see her again.

"And, to you, Jim." She opened her communicator. "Ilya, one to transport."

"Acknowledged."

Kirk watched as Hunter vanished then turned back to the window. He knew Hunter would remain in the area until Koloth's ship left-just in case. He stepped away from the window as the door chime sounded.

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," McCoy said when he entered the office. "You better contact Koloth before I change my mind."

"What's in the bags," Kirk asked indicating the two cases McCoy was carrying.

"This," McCoy held up one case, "is all the personal stuff I brought on this trip. And this," he held up the other case, "is all the medical equipment I could talk the station infirmary out of."

Kirk nodded then opened the Klingon communicator. "Kirk to Koloth," he said.

"Go ahead."

"Two to transport."

"Oh great, a Klingon transporter. Are you sure we can't just take a shuttle instead?" McCoy said as the transport beam touched them.

#

Kirk looked around at the gray, spartan room he and McCoy had been assigned. Like on his last visit to the Empire, a sleeping mat had been provided on the hard metal bunks. There were two chairs and a desk in the room as well.

McCoy put his cases on one of the bunks then leaned up against the wall. "Jim, something you still haven't told me, and I'm curious about is Sarek's aide. As I recall he went with Kang as well."

Kirk sat in one of the chairs and leaned back. "Selat? To tell the truth I'm not sure myself. According to Kang, his name is Ta'les and he's a Romulan who's been living in the Empire for over thirty years. However, while I was in the Empire, I stood as witness to his and Kelli's marriage. They bonded in the Vulcan fashion. I doubt the Romulans use the same ceremony and words as the Vulcans."

McCoy stared at the Captain and shook his head. "In other words you still don't know what his story is."

"That's about it." Kirk stood up and stretched. "We might as well get some rest. Koloth said we would be rendezvousing with Kang and Kor before reaching Kronos. Things will probably start getting busy then." Kirk looked at the two bunks and frowned. "They don't look very comfortable."

McCoy sat on the bunk nearest him and frowned also. "They're not," he said as he lay down.

Kirk took the other bunk and ordered the lights out. "I hope this isn't a mistake," he heard McCoy mutter. Kirk only nodded his agreement with the statement as he felt sleep claiming him.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

(Empire)

.

.

Ramsey woke slowly, her head pounding. She tried to stand and felt the energy discharge of a security screen. "What is going on here?" she said.

As she looked around the room, Ramsey realized she wasn't in a holding cell, but in what appeared to be an interrogation chamber. The chair she was in was one of Imperial Intelligence's favorite toys. It emitted a force field that shaped itself to the person sitting there. Ramsey moved carefully and found she had approximately four inches of movement before she touched the screen.

_Kahless damn you to the farthest reaches of ghe'tor,_ she thought.

:_Parted from me, yet never parted,_ she heard Ta'les voice in her mind.

:_Ta'les, what is going on?_ she asked.

:_Kitten, I cannot go into it at this time. I am with D'Ras, and I do not want him to suspect anything. I will lend you my strength and my love, as much as I can. Remember-no matter what happens; no matter what I may say or do-I love you. It would be best if you reacted angrily when you saw me._

Ramsey frowned at the sudden silence in her mind. Ta'les had blocked his mind from her. She could still feel his presence and his strength. She touched their bond lightly and sensed something else: The strong, steady drumming of two Klingon hearts beating in unison.

_Nothing can stand against the beating of two Klingon hearts,_ she thought, smiling briefly.

Ramsey tensed when she heard the door unlock. She glared as D'Ras and Ta'les entered the room, with several guards. She tried to lunge out of the chair, and was thrown violently back by the force of the energy screen.

"_petaQ_!" she said, looking at Ta'les. As she stared at her husband, she channeled all her anger and frustration from the past days into the look. "You've been working for this bastard the entire time, haven't you?" She turned her head slightly to see D'Ras smirking.

"I serve the Empire. That is where my loyalty lies, not in the bed chamber of a Federation spy," Ta'les said. He moved to stand directly in front of her. He nodded slightly, and Ramsey felt the tingle of the force field disappear.

Ramsey again tried to jump out of the chair and was knocked back when Ta'les backhanded her across the face and the force field reactivated. Ramsey only glared at D'Ras as Ta'les spoke the harsh words of the divorcement ritual. "_N'Gos tlhogh cha!_"

_Our marriage is done!_ Even knowing Ta'les did not mean them, the words of the ritual cut through her heart. Ramsey bowed her head slightly, careful of the energy screen, to hide the tears in her eyes.

"Commodore, my loyalty has always been to the Empire which I serve," Ta'les said, after completing the ritual. "When you attempted to pass information to the Federation, I could not allow you to do so. I will not betray the Empire."

"Fool! By allowing D'Ras to start this war, you _are_ betraying the Empire." Ramsey jerked her head up and brought her anger back to the surface of her emotions.

"You have trapped the Empire in a treaty with sheep. You have given military information to our enemies. It is your actions that have betrayed the Empire." Ta'les turned his back on her.

Despite knowing this was an act on Ta'les part, Ramsey still felt another sharp stab in her heart at the words he spoke. She again bowed her head to hide the tears she felt burning in her eyes.

"Now, Commodore, you and I will have a talk." D'Ras said. "There is much, I would like you to tell me."

"When the stars talk!" Ramsey snapped, jerking her head up.

"I doubt you have the strength." D'Ras pressed a button on the control pad he was holding.

Ramsey cried out from the pain that coursed through her body. When the pain started to subside, she saw D'Ras press the control again. She screamed as a new wave of pain assaulted her.

"As you have discovered, the restraint chair is equipped with an agonizer circuit. Now, back to our discussion. I want to know where the copy of the information you stole is, and I want to know what you have already told the Federation," D'Ras said.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Ramsey's sentence ended in another cry of pain as D'Ras again activated the agonizer.

"I suggest you think about it some more," D'Ras said with a smile. "For each minute you withhold what I want to know, I will increase the power of the agonizer."

"D'Ras...you have...the copy I made. You...presented it to the cou...council...as part...part of your...accusation," she said, forcing the words out.

"How much of a fool do you think I am? I know you made two copies. Where is the other one? What transmissions did you make? Who did you warn?"

Ramsey felt her hands clench tightly, the nails cutting into her palms as she tried to fight the increasing pain. She glanced at Ta'les, standing in a back corner, and saw his eyes closed tightly and a grimace on his face as he leaned against the wall for support.

She turned her gaze back to D'Ras and saw him starting to turn towards Ta'les. _Did I betray him with that look?_ Ramsey wondered. She fought the slight smile that threatened when she saw Ta'les force himself to stand straight, his face an unreadable mask as D'Ras faced him.

"Okay...you...win," Ramsey gasped, trying to take D'Ras' attention off Ta'les. The Vulcan leaned against the wall as the agonizer shut off.

"That, Commodore, was a foregone conclusion," D'Ras said smiling. "Like all Earthers, you are too weak to die for what you know. Where is that other copy? How much did you pass to the Federation?"

Ramsey forced herself to sit straight and meet D'Ras' gaze. She stared at him for several long heartbeats before saying anything. "I left the information in a pouch in the Great Hall," Ramsey said quickly when she saw D'Ras reach for the control pad again. "It is in the Shrine of Kahless."

"And, what have you told the Federation?" D'Ras asked.

"Nothing, I never had the time to transmit anything to them. Check my communications console. Ask your Romulan dog." Ramsey nodded towards Ta'les.

"The damage you caused to the computer console prevents me from verifying that claim. Plus, you had time after you left the hall, to have sent a transmission." D'Ras ran his fingers over the control pad. "I'll ask again. What have you told the Federation?"

"I was only able to send them a general warning," Ramsey said.

"And?" D'Ras prompted.

"And, what?" Ramsey snapped.

"What else did you tell them?"

"Nothing." Ramsey's voice broke off in a scream as D'Ras activated the agonizer again.

"Meikos...Meikos Minor," she said in a harsh whisper. "I was able to send them the details regarding the Meikos Minor system."

"Thank you." D'Ras released the force field and Ramsey slumped in the chair.

"Ta'les," D'Ras said, turning towards the door. "Contact Captain Garuth and divert him from the Meikos Minor system to the Thelva system."

_Thelva,_ Ramsey thought. _I have to remember that name._

:_If not, I will remember it for you._ Ramsey heard Ta'les' say in her mind.

#

D'Ras stepped outside the door of the interrogation chamber and turned to the two guards there. "Take her to a holding cell, then inform Doctor Braknir that she is ready."

The guards saluted then entered the room as D'Ras and Ta'les walked down the corridor.

"Braknir?" Ta'les asked.

"She has been declared to have no name or house within the Empire. Essentially, she is no longer Klingon. While Ramsey was still in the Federation, she took steps to hide her Klingon heritage. I am ensuring she doesn't need to do that again."

"You are having him alter her appearance? Is that necessary?" Ta'les asked.

"It is. I want her to understand exactly how I see her. She is not Klingon; she is only an Earther. That is how I will deal with her. She has no name and no house. She deserves and will receive nothing under Klingon law and tradition," D'Ras said.

They walked along for a few more minutes. "Delay contacting Garuth until we verify her story. She is stronger than I suspected she would be. I have never seen an Earther hold out for five minutes under the agonizer as she did."

"You believe she lied to you." Ta'les frowned.

"After the guards have searched the Shrine and the Great Hall, I will know for sure."

"Why do you need the copy she made, though? We have her, isn't that enough?" Ta'les asked.

"Perhaps it will be. However, if I can break her on something as minor as the copy it will make getting the information I do want from her easier. Also, if I have the extra copy and she is rescued by her Federation friends, they will have no evidence of what she is claiming."

"You expect her to be rescued? You do not trust your guards?" Ta'les asked.

"It is you I don't trust," D'Ras said. He stopped and turned to face Ta'les. "You have already proven to me you have no honor. A traitor has no loyalty, except to the coin that has bought him. What exactly is the coin that holds you? You willingly betrayed your mate in order to save your own life. You try to hide behind a claim of loyalty to the Empire, but I know that is not true. I saw how you reacted to my interrogation of your wife. You still care about her and the guilt of your betrayal was evident in the pain on your face. If you are given a chance, I have no doubt you will betray me also. Your word has no meaning, you have no honor." D'Ras turned and left Ta'les standing alone.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

(Empire)

.

.

D'Ras looked up as his guards entered his office; he glanced at Ta'les standing in the far corner of the room and smiled.

"My Lord," one of the guards said saluting. "We have completed the search of the Great Hall. We did not find the item in question."

"That lying, _Qovpatlh_!" D'Ras shouted when his guards finished their report. "She actually had the _qajunpaQ_ to lie to me. I will not underestimate her again." He stood and walked around the desk.

"You think not?" Ta'les said. "She has a talent for getting others to underestimate her. Your brother made that mistake and it cost him the leadership of the council and his life."

D'Ras move to stand in front of Ta'les, drew his _d'k tahg_ and held it against his throat. "Be careful your tongue does not cost you yours, Romulan," he said.

Ta'les stepped back and nodded. "I only wish to ensure you remain vigilant in your dealings with the Earther. You have asked me to advise you on her. What good is that advice if you do not listen to what I say?"

D'Ras lowered the weapon and stepped back, studying Ta'les. The Romulan's face was calm with no lines of emotion etched on it.

"Do you still want me to contact Captain Garuth and have him divert to Thelva?" Ta'les asked.

"No! Now, that I know she was lying about the tape; I can assume she was lying about the information she gave the Federation. Instead, I want you to contact Captain Mikyn and divert him from Thelva to Meikos Minor." D'Ras locked his gaze with Ta'les. He frowned at the fire he saw burning in his violet eyes. "I will be contacting Captain Garuth, so he will know to expect Captain Mikyn."

"I will see to it immediately, Lord D'Ras." Ta'les saluted and left the room.

D'Ras watched Ta'les leave then nodded to one of his guards who followed the Romulan out of the room.

#

Ramsey sat upright as she woke in the holding cell. Without thinking, she rolled off the bunk and crouched in a defensive position as she scanned the room. She was alone. She took a deep breath and sat down on the bunk. To her surprise, the mattress was soft. There was also a pillow and blanket on the bunk. _D'Ras is going out of his way to remind me I'm nothing more than a Terran in his eyes,_ she thought.

_Okay, this is not the time to start this. I need a plan to get out of here. But, where is here? D'Ras wouldn't be holding me in any official location. Too much chance of someone finding out where I am. So, that leaves somewhere unofficial. Possibly, somewhere on House D'Ras lands. That makes sense. Make sure the only ones here are those loyal to his house. But, where does that put Ta'les? Which one of us is he lying to?_

Ramsey mentally reached for the marriage bond, but was unable to feel her husband's presence. :_Ta'les, why are you blocking me?_

Ramsey sat there for a few minutes then slowly shook her head. She lightly touched the bond again. Although her husband was blocking his mind, she could still feel his strength and love. She had no right questioning his loyalty to her. With their bond, there would no way Ta'les could hide his true feelings from her. She listened to the steady beat of her heart and smiled when she heard an echoing beat. _Two Klingon hearts,_ she thought.

Ramsey stood up and moved to the energy screen. Her left hand shook as she slowly reached out and touched the field, testing its strength. She jerked her hand back as the power of the screen stabbed up her arm. The entire area of the doorway filled with a golden glow for several seconds. "Not taking any chances are you D'Ras," she whispered. Ramsey walked around the room examining the area. She found nothing other than what was on the bunk.

Ramsey lay on the bunk, her arm tingling and her head beginning to throb from the energy that had passed through her. She reached up with her right hand to rub her temples. She gasped when she felt the smoothness of her skin. "No!" she said, sitting up. She carefully ran her fingers across her forehead. "_QI'yaH_!"

She stood and began pacing the cell. The sound of footsteps in the corridor caused her to pause. She picked up the blanket from the bunk and tore a long strip from it. Ramsey returned to the bunk and huddled in the corner, the blanket draped over her hands to hide them. Under the blanket, she wrapped the ends of the makeshift garrote around her hands and waited as the footsteps came closer.

"It seems I have underestimated your resourcefulness, Earther," D'Ras said, stopping outside the cell. "I was surprised you had the _qajunpaQ_ to actually lie to me. Where is the other copy?"

"I told you where it was, _petaQ_. I can't help it if your guards are too incompetent to find it," Ramsey said.

"Very well. We will talk again later." D'Ras grinned as he turned to the two guards with him.

Ramsey leaned forward, trying to hear what he said.

"You two may have the prisoner for one hour. Make sure no permanent damage is done." D'Ras turned back to Ramsey, gave her an appraising look then turned back to the guards. "Your disrupters," he demanded, holding out his right hand. The guards nodded and gave up the weapons.

"Someone will be here in an hour to open the energy screen," D'Ras said.

Ramsey sprang off the bunk when she saw D'Ras reach to touch the wall next to the doorway. The force field dropped just as she reached it and Ramsey threw her shoulder into D'Ras knocking him across the corridor. She threw the blanket over the head of the guard to her right. With effort, she was able to pull that guard into the other. She then sprinted down the corridor.

She cried out as a disrupter beam caught her in the back and she fell to the floor. Her back felt like it was on fire as she lay there. She shifted carefully, sliding the _d'k tahg_ she took off D'Ras, when she hit him, under her shirt. The makeshift garrote remained wrapped around her hands and wrists, the excess held in her left hand to hide it.

She forced away her desire to fight as the guards lifted her from the floor and half carried; half drug her back to the cell. She held still as the guards dropped her on the floor and she heard the force field reactivate.

"Remember, no permanent damage," D'Ras said again as he walked away from the cell.

Ramsey opened her left hand then tightened the garrote between her hands while she listened to D'Ras' footsteps echo through the corridor. The guards were under orders to do no permanent damage, she wasn't-point in her favor. Of course, all that permanent damage order meant was they weren't supposed to kill her. Her body was still recovering from the use of the agonizer and the disrupter hit-points in the guards' favor. They didn't know she was armed-another point for her. _Two to one,_ she thought. _Should be about even._

#

Ta'les ignored the guard following him. It was no surprise to him that D'Ras didn't trust him. He would have to be extra careful. With reluctance he reached for the training, he had once rejected. After burying his emotions under a layer of logic, he placed a block against his marriage bond. It was a light block, designed to prevent any casual contact from his wife. With D'Ras having his guards watch him like this, he didn't want to risk reacting to her mental presence. Ramsey was not a telepath, and while they could communicate through the bond, he didn't think she could break the block. He could still feel her presence and through that, he knew she was still alive. For now, that was all that mattered.

When Ta'les felt his emotions were properly buried and he had settled his thoughts, he turned to the communications console and opened a subspace channel to Captain Mikyn.

#

Ramsey rolled to her right, as she attempted to avoid the grasp of one of the guards. She drew her legs up then kicked at the knees of the second guard. The guard jumped back with a laugh.

Ramsey got to her feet and crouched as she watched the two guards. She held her hands down, the garrote wrapped around her wrists and hands. She hoped the guards would mistake the strip of cloth for a restraint and wouldn't realize it was a weapon. _Of course, a true warrior knows everything is a potential weapon,_ she thought.

Before the guards could act, Ramsey sprang at the one nearest her and wrapped the garrote around his neck. As the second guard approached them, Ramsey lashed out with her right leg. Because of her positioning, she wasn't able to put the power into it she wanted and only caused him to take a few steps back.

Ramsey managed to work her right hand free of the cloth and held it tight with her left hand. She then reached for the guard's dagger. She fought to control her own panic as the guards' hands found her neck. "Remember, _petaQ_, D'Ras said no permanent damage," she whispered harshly.

When she felt his hesitation, Ramsey brought the dagger up in an underhanded strike at his chest. She twisted the blade as she released the rope and pushed him away from her.

As the guard staggered back, Ramsey realized her aim had been off. From his breathing, she had hit a lung, but not the heart as she had intended.

Ramsey screamed in pain when she felt the second guard's _d'k tahg_ bite deeply into her side. She spun around to face the new threat and felt the cloth drop around her own throat. _You idiot!_ she thought. _First, you give your enemy your weapon; then you turn your back on him._

#

Ta'les grabbed for the console as Ramsey's scream broke through the block and echoed in his mind. :_Kitten?_ He glanced at the guard who had been following him. No reaction was apparent in the guard's attitude. Ta'les touched the bond and flinched at the searing pain and anger that flared up along the link.

Ta'les calmed himself and started back to D'Ras' office. The short walk seemed to take forever as all he wanted to do was run to the holding cells.

"The message has been sent," Ta'les said with a curt nod when he entered the room.

"Good." D'Ras looked at him and grinned. "I want you to check on the traitor. I gave two of my guards an hour with her, with instructions to not cause any permanent damage. Make sure they have complied with that order."

Ta'les bowed his head to hide the anger he felt burning in his eyes, then left the room. He walked as quickly through the corridors as he felt he could safely get away with.

Ta'les tried again to reach Ramsey through their bond, but all he felt was emptiness in his mind as his heart beat in a solitary rhythm.

#

Ta'les studied the scene before him when he reached the holding cell. Ramsey's clothes were ripped and covered in blood. She was crouched in the corner, a dagger in each hand. "So the kitten has become the lioness," he whispered.

One of the guards was down and appeared to be dead. The other guard was approaching Ramsey with caution.

"Go get D'Ras and Braknir!" Ta'les snapped at the guard still following him.

The guard looked from Ta'les to the cell then nodded and left.

After the guard was gone, Ta'les dropped the force field and the guard in the cell glanced at him. Ta'les nodded then moved into a position behind the guard. He never saw the blade Ta'les plunged into his back.

Ta'les lowered the guard to the floor of the cell, stepped back then looked at Ramsey. He saw no sign of recognition on her face. She was lost to the battle rage and ready to strike out at anything she perceived as a threat. Ta'les slowly placed his dagger back into its sheath and knelt down holding his hands out. "Kitten," he whispered using his nickname for her. It was common practice for Klingon couples to give each other a nickname or _bang pong_ that was used privately between them. He hoped using hers would help his wife focus past her anger. "Kitten, relax. The current battle is past. I am here."

He tried again to reach Ramsey through the bond and was pushed away by her anger. Ta'les ignored the rage building in his wife's mind and continued to talk softly while sending calming thoughts along their bond.

"Ta'les?" Ramsey whispered after several minutes.

:_Yes, Kitten, it's me,_ he sent, standing back up. "K'Lyssia!" he shouted as Ramsey collapsed on the floor. He picked her up and cradled her gently. Using their bond, he placed Ramsey in a healing trance.

#

D'Ras frowned as he watched the monitor showing him Ramsey's cell. He hadn't trusted the Romulan's denouncement of his wife as a traitor and what he had just seen had proven he was correct in that distrust. Ta'les knew he didn't trust him, but he wouldn't know D'Ras now understood the true extent to which he still supported his wife. That was something he could use to his advantage.

#

Ta'les heard the distant echo of footsteps in the corridor, picked Ramsey up, and placed her on the bunk. He covered her with the blanket and picked up the two daggers that had belonged to the guards; D'Ras' dagger he slipped under his shirt. :_Well done, Kitten,_ he thought as he turned to see D'Ras standing in front of the cell.

D'Ras looked at the bodies of the two guards in the cell. "Seems I keep underestimating the Earther," he said. "We'll let her rest until morning, then I'll question her again."

"Shall I have the bodies removed?" Ta'les asked after he exited the cell.

"No leave them there," D'Ras said then reactivated the force field. "The traitor has spent thirty years living in the Federation. She has adopted many of their customs and sensibilities. Two dead bodies will be uncomfortable for her to sleep with."

"As you wish." Ta'les touched the bond and was pleased to see the healing trance was holding. He could sense his wife's strength returning. _You will be in for a surprise, petaQ, when you try to question her tomorrow,_ he thought as he followed D'Ras through the corridor.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

(Empire)

.

.

"Wake her," D'Ras ordered when he and his guards entered the holding cell.

One of the guards threw a bucket of water on Ramsey who was lying on the bunk.

D'Ras laughed as Ramsey jumped when the ice-cold water hit her.

"And, a very good morning to you, also," Ramsey said.

She stood slowly and turned to face him. D'Ras noted that despite the contempt in her voice, her downcast eyes refused to meet his gaze and he smiled. _She may have been able to win one battle yesterday, but she is starting to understand and accept who is in control of her situation. Of course, she would not have won the battle yesterday, if she had not had help,_ D'Ras thought with a glance at Ta'les.

What he had seen in his dealings with Ramsey before this told him she was as proud as any Klingon. He was sure she knew there was a chance she would have lost yesterday without Ta'les' intervention; that should affect her pride. Despite that, there was still a hint of defiance in her stance and tone. _Let's see if we can strip some more of that pride and defiance from you, Commodore,_ D'Ras thought.

"Your sense of humor has returned, I see," D'Ras said. "We'll have to do something about that. Ta'les reported you managed to kill two of my guards yesterday, by taking their weapons away from them. He recovered two _d'k tahgs_, do you have any more weapons on you?"

"Do you honestly expect me to tell you if I did?" Ramsey asked.

She finally looked up at him and D'Ras noticed a faint spark of fire in her eyes. "No, I don't," he said. "Strip her." D'Ras nodded to two of the guards with him.

D'Ras watched Ta'les, who was standing to the side, and noted the anger on the previously impassive face. _I was right about you my friend,_ he thought. _Too bad. You traded your soul to me when you told me she had those plans in order to save your own life. A Klingon would have died before doing what you did. Now, you regret your decision and are trying to help her. I will enjoy watching you suffer with the knowledge you betrayed the daughter of Raynia._

"There are no other weapons hidden on the prisoner," one of the guards finally announced.

D'Ras motioned the guards out of the holding cell. "Now, that you had a night to think about it, what did you really do with those plans?" he asked.

"I've already told you. Why don't you talk to your guards? Maybe one of them has the computer tape and is planning on betraying you," Ramsey said. She straightened her back and locked her eyes with his. "Just as you have betrayed the Empire."

D'Ras backhanded Ramsey across the face with a closed fist. He was surprised when she continued standing. The amount of time she had been subjected to the agonizer, combined with the fight yesterday shouldn't have left her with this much strength.

D'Ras nodded, turned towards the door of the cell then spun around hitting Ramsey again. This time she fell back against the bunk. "Where are those plans?" he demanded.

Ramsey glared at him as she stood back up. Even without her clothes, she managed an air of defiance. He had expected her to try wrapping the blanket around herself. Again, he had guessed incorrectly in his dealings with this Earther and it was upsetting him.

"I don't remember," she said calmly. Ramsey continued to glare at him as she used the back of her hand to wipe at the blood on the corner of her mouth.

"Until your memory improves, you will remain here just as you are now. You will receive no food or water until you decide to be more cooperative." D'Ras turned and left the cell.

"Korang," he said, stopping several yards down the corridor and turning to one of the guards. "See the temperature of the holding cell is lowered. There is no need for the traitor to be comfortable."

"Yes, Lord." The guard saluted then left.

D'Ras turned to Ta'les. "How long will she be able to hold out?" he asked.

"It is hard to estimate. K'Lyssia has a very strong will," Ta'les said.

"In her current state, how effective do you think the use of hypnotics would be?" D'Ras asked.

Ta'les looked from him back towards the holding cell. "It is hard to say, but I would expect them to be very effective. She has been drained both physically and emotionally. That should increase the drug's effectiveness."

"That's what I was thinking also, but I have underestimated her too many times. She showed exceptional strength just now, are you sure they will be effective."

"If you doubt me in this, then wait a few days. Going without food or water will take its toll on her as well," Ta'les said.

"That may be the best choice. We will need Starfleet uniforms. See to it," D'Ras said.

Ta'les looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "If I may ask?

"You'll find out at the same time she does!" D'Ras turned then stalked down the corridor.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

(Federation)

.

.

"Kirk, we will be rendezvousing with Kor and Kang in approximately fifteen minutes," Koloth's voice came over the intercom. "You and McCoy meet me in the transporter room as soon as you get your gear together."

"Acknowledged," Kirk answered. He looked at McCoy as the intercom clicked off. "You heard the man, Bones. Let's get going." Kirk picked up the small travel bag he had brought with him then looked around the small room. With its lack of decoration or extra furniture, there was no place for anything to hide.

He saw McCoy check his own bags then scan the room also. "Got everything?" he asked.

"Other than my sanity, I think so. Damn it, I'm a doctor, not an intelligence operative. I don't know why I let you talk me into this crazy scheme," McCoy said, picking up his gear.

"It's because you are a doctor and there's someone who will need you that you let me talk you into this crazy scheme," Kirk said as they left the room.

"You know, you're probably right, Jim. You're probably right," McCoy muttered as they walked down the corridor to the transporter room.

Koloth was waiting for them when they arrived. "We just made contact with the Brak'nil. If you'll join me, we're within transporter range." Koloth stepped up onto the transport platform and watched them expectantly.

Kirk looked around as they materialized in the Brak'nil's transporter room. Except for the personnel, he saw no difference in this room and the one they just left.

"_Qapla'_" Kang said saluting Kirk and McCoy. "Allow me to welcome you to the Brak'nil."

Kirk returned the Klingon salute. "_Qapla'_, Kang. We are honored to be here."

"Kirk, you Denebian Slime Devil, what's this I hear about you accepting promotion?" Kor asked.

"It's true," Kirk said.

"I'm disappointed. You are a warrior, not a bureaucrat. You belong in command, not behind a desk," Kor said, shaking his head.

"I've tried to tell him that-several times," McCoy muttered.

"And, of course, he does not listen. I probably would not have either," Kang said.

"Does it look like I'm sitting behind a desk?" Kirk asked. He turned to glare at McCoy.

"Maybe not this minute, but it seems like I've seen you behind one quite a bit in the last few months," McCoy said.

"That's enough, Bones," Kirk said.

"If you'll come with me, I'll take you to your quarters," Kor said, gesturing to the door.

"Once you have settled in; meet me and the others in the dining hall. We have much to discuss," Kang said. The Klingon nodded then left the room with Koloth.

"A bit on the demanding side," McCoy said.

"He can be. You must understand Kang is a true Klingon warrior. He cares deeply about the Empire and honor. He supported Lady K'Lyssia despite misgivings about her wanting to initiate a treaty with the Federation, because it was the honorable thing to do. She is a direct descendant of Kahless, she was the designated successor to Lord K'Lyion and she has never acted in a way that could be perceived as dishonorable. Regardless of what you may think of Kang, behind that gruff exterior, he is a very passionate man. And, Lady K'Lyssia cares as passionately about the Empire and honor as he does," Kor said, as they walked down the corridor.

"I'll keep that in mind," McCoy said.

"See that you do, McCoy. Kang will not tolerate anything or anyone that threatens the Empire or his honor. Here are your quarters. When you are ready, come to the officer's dining hall. You'll find it in the same location as on the Devisor." Kor saluted then left.

Kirk nodded and returned the salute. "We'll be there shortly," he said.

Kirk dropped his bag on the bunk and looked around the room. It looked the same as their quarters on Koloth's ship had.

"Any comments, Bones?" Kirk asked.

"I don't like the idea of following two slightly and one seriously obsessed Klingon on a rescue mission within the Klingon Empire. However, I doubt I have much of a choice at this point."

"No, _we_ don't."

#

While he and McCoy walked through the corridors to the dining hall, Kirk thought back on various intelligence reports he had been given on the Empire. He was surprised the only thing Intelligence had regarding the Klingons testing a cloaking device were vague rumors. It would appear the Klingons were getting better at keeping secrets than they use to be.

"Ah, gentlemen, there you are," Koloth said, as Kirk and McCoy entered the room.

The main table was covered with charts and hand drawn diagrams. Kirk glanced at the computer monitor, then back at the scattered papers.

"This is more secure than the computer, Kirk," Kang said. "I am not willing to take a chance surveillance devices could monitor anything we call up or analyze."

"I know it is difficult for you of the Federation to understand," Koloth said. "But, those who serve the Empire are never truly alone."

"Actually, we do understand." Kirk glanced at McCoy. It had only been a few years since they had crossed into an alternate universe. One where the Federation had been replaced by an Empire and rank could be earned through assassination. Their counterparts in this _mirror universe_ had lived under constant surveillance also.

"My sources on _Qo'nos_ have been able to verify Lady K'Lyssia's location as being in one of the obscure Imperial Intelligence compounds in the Frathenil region," Kor said. He reached down and smoothed one of the charts. "From what they could gather, it has been all but abandoned by Intelligence. They suspect the only guards there are members of D'Ras' forces or from those houses that support him."

"What do we know about their defensive strength?" Kang asked.

"An estimated fifty troops, no defensive shields surrounding the compound, although there are screens around various areas within the installation." Kor indicated several highlighted areas on the chart. "These are the areas we know have defensive screens. They include the holding cells and the primary interrogation chambers."

"If we can locate where in the compound Kelli is, we may be able to beam in and out without too much trouble. Even if she's in one of the protected areas, we could beam into an adjacent corridor or area, retrieve her, then return to the beam out location," Kirk said, studying the chart. He took a deep breath and looked up at Kang. "I have to let you know Starfleet Intelligence has several operatives on Kronos. They have been alerted to the situation. Their orders are to try and get Kelli out, if they can't; they are to neutralize the threat."

"We are already aware of that. One of those operatives is known to me," Kang said. "I have informed him of this mission. If we fail, he will take the necessary steps. He may already be in place within the compound-I do not know."

"Because of her mixed heritage, Commodore Ramsey has a unique bio-signature. I should be able to spot it on a sensor scan," McCoy said.

"Then it will be possible to locate her. If she is in an unprotected area, we will uncloak long enough to beam her on board. If not, we will plan to beam down at least two large groups, in case we have to fight our way out. We will get as close to her location as we can.

"In the event we have to beam down, we will need to have hand scanners programmed to Lady K'Lyssia's bio-signature. Doctor, can you do that?" Kang asked.

"I believe so," McCoy said with a nod.

"This should be a fairly quick and simple rescue. Doctor McCoy, you will stay on the Brak'nil. Lady K'Lyssia will no doubt require medical attention. I do not want to risk you being injured in the initial retrieval," Kang said.

"And, if one of you is seriously injured and needs medical attention before you get back?" McCoy asked.

"In that case, Doctor, it will be a good day to die," Kang said.

Both Kor and Koloth echoed Kang's statement and nodded to each other.

Kirk looked from one Klingon to the others and shook his head.

"You disagree?" Koloth asked.

"I remember hearing that one of Earth's famous war leaders once made the statement: No one won a battle by dying for his country; he won it by making the enemy die for his. I think it would be a better day for our enemies to die and for us to live."


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

(Empire)

.

.

Ramsey lay on the bunk in the cell. The mattress and blanket were still wet from the cold water thrown on them that morning. Add the wet bedding to the cold, even to a Terran, temperature and she knew she was going to be sick.

After D'Ras and his guards had left earlier, she stripped the bodies of the less bloody parts of their uniforms in order to replace her ripped clothes. The result was ill fitting, but it served to provide some protection against the cold.

She shivered as she lay facing the wall of the cell and tried to ignore the knot in her stomach. _What is happening outside of here?_ she wondered. _Does anyone even know I'm alive? Does anyone care?_ The majority of the council, she knew, would follow D'Ras now. He had shown he was the strongest. Ke'vheg and Khem'Ra had offered their support before D'Ras' kangaroo court, but were they still willing to help her now?

"Damn it, I have got to get out of here," she whispered.

:_Parted from me, yet never parted,_ Ramsey thought touching the bond.

:_My heart beats only for thee,_ came Ta'les' reply.

:_What is he up too?_ Ramsey asked.

:_I do not know. He does not trust me with his plans. All I can tell you is; he was asking for my opinion on the effectiveness of using hypnotics on you. He also wants me to get some Starfleet uniforms together._

"Hypnotics," Ramsey whispered. "What is he after?"

:_Kitten?_ Ta'les' voice whispered in her mind after several minutes. Ramsey felt herself burn from the intensity of his concern. She grabbed onto that emotion for a few seconds and used it to chase away the chill that pierced her body.

:_I'm still here, beloved. Do you know what he wants? I find it hard to believe he's doing all this just for a copy of the computer information,_ she sent.

:_You are correct. He is only using the tape to break you. Once he gets that information, he believes he will be able to get what he needs from you._

:_But, what is that._ Ramsey rolled onto her back and lay staring at the ceiling. :_What could be so important to him, that he hasn't had me killed yet? By the Fek'lhr, No!_ She sat up the bed. "No!"

:_Kitten? What is it?_ Ta'les mind voice cut through her with its panic.

:_I worked in Starfleet tactical for two years. Lords of Chaos, that's what he wants. I can't let him have it. No matter the cost, I can't let him have that information. Ta'les, I tried to break our bond when I left the Great Hall. It obviously didn't work. Perhaps now, would be a good time for you to do it._

:_I disagree. You will need my strength added to yours if you are to fight D'Ras and protect the information you have._

:_Then understand something, if it comes to it, I will die before I betray the Federation._

Ta'les felt a stab of pain at the sharp, bitter taste of his wife's emotions. :_I understand,_ he finally sent. :_I will help you as much as I can. No matter the cost. Besides as the saying goes, no one can stand against the beating of two Klingon hearts._

"But, neither of us is truly Klingon," Ramsey whispered.

:_You must rest now. If I am able to slip away from my guards, I will._

Ramsey closed her eyes as she felt Ta'les' presence slip out of her mind.

#

"Here's what I want you to do," D'Ras said while they stood outside the cell area several days later. "Give her the food and clothing. After she eats, tell her I've decided to move her to other, more appropriate quarters."

"Why am I getting the impression there is something you are not telling me?" Ta'les asked, taking the food tray and bundle of clothes.

"Because there is."

Ta'les forced a smile as he walked down the corridor to Ramsey's cell. The bodies of the guards they had killed had been removed before he arrived, but the stench still lingered in the air. The cold temperature of the cell had slowed the decomposition of the bodies and this had prevented the odor from developing into the strong, gagging stench of death.

"Lord D'Ras has decided to allow you to have something to eat along with suitable clothing." Ta'les said. He placed the tray on the bunk and handed her the bundle. "When you have finished eating, I am to move you to more appropriate quarters," he said.

"Why?" Ramsey asked. She stripped out of the clothes she had taken off the guards and dressed in the new clothes quickly. Again, D'Ras had chosen for her to be in a Starfleet uniform. She smoothed the gold tunic then traced the sword shaped emblem of the Excalibur over her left breast.

"It is a gesture of respect to his enemy. He has underestimated you every time he has dealt with you. You have surprised him and he respects that."

Ramsey picked at the food on the tray and stared at him. He heard her speaking softly in his mind. :_Beloved, what's he planning? I doubt he is doing all this out of some sense of respect._

:_Kitten,_ he sent. :_I know nothing more than what we have already discussed. Other than..._ he let the thought trail off.

:_Other than what?_ She demanded.

:_I overheard him ordering the mind probe readied._

"What?" Ramsey's voice wavered.

:_Easy, Kitten,_ Ta'les sent. He placed a hand on hers and frowned at the warmth in her skin. :_K'Lyssia?_

Ramsey shook her head slightly. "What's going on?" She swayed slightly and closed her eyes. "You _petaQ_, the food was drugged!" She threw the tray at him then collapsed.

"Lord D'Ras," Ta'les called.

D'Ras smiled when he looked in the cell. "Good. Get her moved to interrogation room four," he ordered.

#

Ramsey woke in a new cell, her head pounding from the effects of the drug that had been in the food. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the thick fog slowing her thinking. _Why the drugs if he was only going to transfer me to another holding cell?_

The sound of phaser fire echoed in the corridor and caught her attention. She walked over to the force field to see what was going on. She still felt unsteady and put a hand on the wall to maintain her balance.

She blinked several times as Kang and Kirk approached the cell and deactivated the energy screen. "Kang, Jim, thank Kahless you're here," she said, giving Kirk a hug.

"Good to see you too, Commodore. Let's get out of here," Kirk said.

As she stepped back the braid on Kirk's sleeve caught her eye: Two solid lines on either side of a line of dashes, signifying the rank of Captain. _This isn't right,_ she thought. She looked at the braid again, and it seemed to shine brighter. _What's going on here?_

Kang grabbed her shoulder. "Let's go."

Ramsey hesitated. "Wait." She reached out slowly and touched the gold braid. "Wait. Kirk accepted promotion to Admiral. This isn't right. You're not Kirk!" She pulled away from Kang and took several steps back.

Ramsey closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts. _This isn't real._ She repeated the mantra to herself several times and she concentrated on seeing through the illusion. When she reopened her eyes, the scene had changed.

Ramsey found herself strapped to a chair with D'Ras and Ta'les standing in front of her. She frowned at the Starfleet uniforms they were wearing. "Hypnotics? What do you think to accomplish with those? I have nothing to tell you."

"We shall see about that, Commodore," D'Ras said with a nod.

Ramsey gasped as pain assaulted her mind. With a determined effort, she managed to keep from screaming.

#

Ramsey woke with a start, sitting up on the bio-bed. She looked around the room in confusion. She was in a starship Sickbay. "What's going on?" she asked.

The tall platinum blonde nurse in the room turned and smiled at her. "I better let Doctor McCoy and Captain Kirk explain," the nurse said.

"Thank you, Nurse Chapel," Ramsey said.

Ramsey watched Chapel leave the room, and tried to remember what had happened. She was on the Enterprise, that much was obvious. _That's right, Admiral Cartwright assigned me here at the request of the Klingon Ambassador,_ she thought.

Ramsey felt a sharp pain in her head at the thought of Admiral Cartwright's name.

"Good, you're awake. We were starting to get worried," McCoy said, entering the room with Kirk and Hilte. He picked up one of the medical scanners and moved it over her head. He checked the readings then nodded. "Tell us what you remember."

"It's still pretty foggy. The Klingon Ambassador attacked me in my quarters. I remember fighting with him and one of his aides," Ramsey said.

"Koreth, he's dead. You managed to cut his throat," Hilte said.

"What else?" McCoy prodded.

"Kaphil knifed me in the chest and I lost consciousness-until now, that is. What's going on?" Ramsey asked.

"Seems this whole conference request was a set-up by the Klingons," Kirk said. "Because of the delays caused by the change in command, the Enterprise was scheduled to arrive late. The Klingons apparently didn't know this."

"Okay, but what has that got to do with the attack on me?" Ramsey asked.

"They attacked Babel and wiped out both the Federation and Romulan delegations. There were also several members of the Federation Council and the Romulan Senate killed. All of the ships transporting the delegates, VIP's and their parties were lost as well," Hilte said.

"And I was attacked why?"

Ramsey slid off the bed and turned to face the three men. Her knees wobbled for a moment and she leaned back against the bed for support. McCoy started to grab her, and she waved him back.

"Best we can figure; it was because of your expertise on Klingons. After all, you are half Klingon and you understand them better than most people in the Federation," Hilte said.

Ramsey stared at them for several minutes. There was a strange nagging at the back of her mind. _Something about this doesn't seem right. Babel? Weren't the orders changed to Khitomer? Or, was the change the other way. Why can't I think straight?_

"What's our current status?" she finally asked.

"We're behind the skirmish lines and trying to make our way back to Earth. Command has been informed of Kaphil's attack against you, and we're holding him and the remainder of his aides in the brig," Hilte said.

"While you're on light duty, Admiral Cartwright wants you to review the situation and draw up some tactical scenarios." Kirk handed her several computer tapes.

Ramsey took the tapes and stared at them as a memory flashed in her mind. It was after her reassignment to Admiral Cartwright's staff. She had finished reviewing the defense plans and tactical scenarios for the systems along the Klingon Neutral Zone. She and Cartwright were in Admiral Nogura's office as she presented several recommendations for drastic changes in the current Starfleet plans.

Admiral Cartwright had argued with every one of her proposals. There was no logic to his protests, just that he didn't think they would work. Despite the pain, she tried to focus on her memories of Cartwright and realized what was wrong with what was happening. She and Cartwright hated each other. He would never ask her to do anything like analyze a tactical scenario involving the Empire. He hated her for being half Klingon. He had even stated several times he felt her expertise came from having divided loyalties.

Ramsey concentrated on that inconsistency, trying to fight her way out of the illusion she now knew existed in her mind. She reached for her marriage bond and used it as an anchor. Opening her eyes she found herself back in what she hoped was the real world.

She was still strapped in the same chair, with D'Ras and Ta'les watching her. "Nice try. But, your attempt to rewrite my memories failed," she whispered.

"I haven't given up yet. You will end up telling me what I want to know." D'Ras nodded sharply, then turned to leave.

This time, she was unable to keep from crying out as the probe reached into her mind. She gratefully fell into the blackness that claimed her.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

(Empire)

.

.

Ta'les lay in the darkness of his quarters and strained to listen to the sounds outside his room. D'Ras had posted a guard on his door today after they had returned Ramsey to the holding cell. He had known D'Ras didn't trust him, and now he realized D'Ras actually suspected him of trying to help his wife.

Without turning on the lights in his room, Ta'les got up. He slid a _d'k tahg_ from under the bed along with the slender dagger he had given Ramsey before she faced D'Ban in the Rite of Succession. He had been able to easily conceal the slender dagger when D'Ras found him after his wife had left the Great Hall. The _d'k tahg_ belonged to D'Ras and was the one Ramsey had taken off the councilor the other day. After she had killed the two guards, D'Ras had taken his weapons and refused to allow him access to any others. He would have to make do with these two.

Despite the surveillance, Ta'les knew he had to find a way to get to Ramsey's cell. He had seen how well D'Ras had constructed each of the illusions so far. He also knew each time the mind probe was able to access more and more of his wife's memory. It was only a matter of time before D'Ras had the information he wanted. He didn't owe anything to the Federation, but Ramsey did and he owed her his love and loyalty. He would help her protect the information.

Ta'les stood to the side of the door, just outside of the scan field. He took a deep breath and calmed his emotions then pressed the door lock. The door slid open with a slight hiss. Ta'les pressed against the wall and waited for the guard to enter.

It was only a few seconds before the guard stepped through the door. He paused for a moment and Ta'les reached around with both knives and cut his throat. Then making sure the body was clear of the door, Ta'les hit the door lock and slipped out of the room before the door closed.

Ta'les stepped into a corner of the corridor and scanned the area, listening and looking for movement. The area was quiet. He stayed in the shadows, as he made his way to the holding cells.

The corridors were quiet as Ta'les hurried through them. He was surprised there was no activity. Even at this early hour of the morning, he had expected there to be a couple of guards assigned to an interior patrol of the installation. The area around the holding cells was also empty of any guards. Ta'les refused to think any more on the missing guards. There was an ancient Klingon proverb that said: When an escaped prisoner looks for a guard, he always finds one. He didn't want to find one.

"Kitten," Ta'les called softly as he deactivated the force field on Ramsey's cell.

"Ta'les?" she whispered.

Ta'les frowned at the pain he saw in her face as his wife forced herself into a sitting position on the bunk.

"I can't fight anymore. If D'Ras uses a mind probe on me again, he'll win. He has broken through all the blocks I know how to put up. I won't be able to fight the probe," she said.

Ta'les knelt in front of the bunk and took her hands in his. "I will continue to help you," he said.

"No! No more." Ramsey's green eyes glittered brightly. "I want you to do something else for me."

Ta'les refused to meet his wife's eyes. He knew what she was going to ask. "Kitten, please..." was all he could say.

"It's the only way," she whispered.

"No, it's not. I don't know why, but the corridors are deserted tonight. This is the time for us to get out of here."

Ramsey reached out and lifted his chin so he had to look directly at her. She smiled softly and nodded, but he heard the faint echo of a sarcastic _yeah, right_ in his mind.

"If anything happens to me I want you to leave and contact Kang. You can find the computer tape by scanning the shuttle port for the identification patterns of my boot daggers. Promise me if anything happens, you will keep going and get that information to the Federation. I want your word!"

"My word as a warrior and as a Vulcan. Now, before we go." He reached for the mind meld contacts on his wife's face.

He wasn't sure how long it took, but he was able to remove the memory of the computer tape's location from her mind. The Starfleet defense information was more difficult.

Ramsey's training on Vulcan had been specifically designed to help her prevent someone from accessing her mind. Despite the fact she had willingly let him in, this was a different area. This was information she was duty bound to protect, even at the cost of her own life.

Her subconscious refused to recognize him as someone trying to help her protect those secrets. It only saw him as an intruder. Her mind fought each of his attempts to block or remove the information. After making several attempts, he sensed several physiological changes in his wife as her breathing slowed and her heart began to beat erratically.

_Even at the cost of my own life,_ his wife's voice echoed in his mind. Ta'les broke the link as quickly as he safely could.

"Let's go," he said, helping her up.

Ramsey's body trembled as she stood and Ta'les could see and feel the toll D'Ras' interrogation techniques had taken on her. Her face had a sunken look to it, reminding him of a piece of rubber stretched over a skull. Her eyes were dull and no longer reflected the fire and defiance of her Klingon heart. Her skin was as cold and pale as the Terran moon. _The only thing keeping her alive at this point is her duty to protect the Federation and the Empire,_ he thought. He handed her the slender dagger with the Romulan seal on it. "Just in case," he said.

Ramsey nodded, took the weapon and held it in her right hand. "Come on," she said.

His wife gestured towards the door and Ta'les took the lead as they left the holding cell. Together they made their way down the corridor.

"Something's wrong," Ramsey whispered. "D'Ras normally has two guards posted in this corridor." She reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"I do not know, but now is not the time to get into a debate over D'Ras lax security procedures," he said.

"I think it's the perfect time. D'Ras would never be this careless, except on purpose. This is wrong." Her voice was getting louder and now held a panicked edge to it. She backed away from Ta'les slowly, the dagger in her right hand held in front of her. "This is another of your damned illusions isn't it?" she asked.

"Kitten, calm down. This is real and we need to get moving." He took a step towards her.

"No!" Ramsey brandished the dagger and continued to stay several steps away from him. "I've had enough of this game," she said. "It's time to end it."

Ta'les dove, too late, for the dagger she suddenly reversed and plunged into her own chest. "K'Lyssia!" His cry echoed through the corridors.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

(Empire)

.

."Damn it, I'm a doctor, not a mole rat." Kirk heard McCoy's muttered curse followed by the sound of something metallic hitting the floor of their quarters.

"You okay, Bones?" he asked.

"Yeah, Jim. This low power mode is just starting to get to me. I would really like to be able to see the things I'm going to bump into before I hit them. How much longer before we get to Kronos?"

"We should be there soon, Bones. Get some rest."

"Rest. Like that's going to happen. I haven't been able to rest since you talked me into this trip."

"I'm worried about her too, Bones," Kirk said. "Did you talk to Kor about what D'Ras is most likely to do to her?" he asked.

"Seems this D'Ras is partial to using hypnotics in conjunction with a mind probe. He likes to create illusions with the hypnotics, which makes it easier for the probe to get the information he wants. In addition, by using the probe to focus on various memories, it helps reinforce the reality of the illusion in some cases. If he does much of that, all we may be rescuing is a shell. He could destroy her mind completely."

"Wonderful." Kirk lay on the bunk and closed his eyes. He jumped several minutes later when a claxon sounded.

Kirk hurried through the tight corridors of the Klingon ship, McCoy following him. The subdued lighting of the ship had a red glow to it and he found himself thinking about the last time he read _Dante's Inferno_.

The low power level didn't make sense to him. The cloaking device he had taken from the Romulans hadn't had this strong of an effect on the power systems of the Enterprise. He wondered what changes had occurred in the device that it required this high of a power level.

"Kang, what's going on?" Kirk asked when he and McCoy entered the bridge of the Brak'nil.

"We are about to enter orbit of _Qo'nos_. Sensors are detecting several other ships in orbit. We are attempting to identify them."

"Commander, I have the scans completed on two of the ships. This one is the Honored Warrior, the other is the Emperor's Pawn," the Klingon at the sensor station said. The ships on the main view screen were highlighted briefly as he named them. "I cannot get an identification on the third."

Kirk turned to look at Kang. "Do you know anything about those ships and their captains?" he asked.

"The Honored Warrior is commanded by Krithargus and the Emperor's Pawn is commanded by Ghemalt. Krithargus was a supporter of K'Lyssia and Ghemalt is D'Ras' cousin." Kang turned back toward the screen. "Krault, I want that third ship identified! Helm, bring us into orbit. Give me continuous sensor sweeps of D'Ras' compound. I want to know precisely where Lady K'Lyssia is being held," he said.

#

A whirling kaleidoscope of colors surrounded her as Ramsey tried to focus her thoughts. Her tortured and fragmented memories created a barrier in her mind that could no longer be penetrated. She carefully probed the barrier, trying to find the smallest hint of sanity. Anything she could grasp onto to guide her out of the storm and back to reality.

Ramsey fought against the pain and chaos in her mind and sensed a thin link to something on the other side of the barrier. She concentrated on that small piece of hope and it began to form itself into a golden thread. The thread strengthened slightly and she felt Ta'les' mind trying to reach her.

Ramsey concentrated on nothing but that single strand of hope and sanity. She opened her eyes and saw the cacophony of color was gone. Instead, she saw she was again in the interrogation chamber. There was still something wrong with her vision, though. Yes, the colors were gone, but she still couldn't focus on anything specific. Everything around her was blurred and seemed to be obscured with a haze or fog. It was as if she had awakened from a half-remembered dream.

She wasn't under the mind probe, instead she was sitting on the floor against one of the walls; her wrists bound in front of her.

"I must admit to a growing respect for your strength of will, Commodore Ramsey," D'Ras said, looking down at her. "Even after everything that has been done to you, you continue to resist my efforts to gain the knowledge I desire. Perhaps, it is time I changed my tactics."

"I have told you, I have nothing to tell you. What good would it do for you to change your tactics?" Ramsey locked her eyes with D'Ras'.

"That is something we will see."

Ramsey felt a sharp pain in her mind. The swirling chaos closed in again as the pain continued to build. A stabbing surge of pain hit her as the golden thread she was grasping snapped. "Ta'les!" She fought against the pain, which threatened to drown her senses. Without warning, she felt a reduction in the pain. She again fought against the barrier in her mind. The barrier released suddenly, bursting outward and Ramsey gasped aloud as the room came into full focus.

Ramsey cringed as D'Ras walked over and smiled at her. "It would appear I have found a weakness in your strength," he said.

Another wave of pain assaulted Ramsey as she watched D'Ras' guards beat her husband. She closed her eyes and bit down on her lips to prevent reacting. The dull thump made by the guards fists as they continued the beating, penetrated through the pain and chaos in her mind.

"Enough!" she cried after several minutes. "I don't know where the other copy is. I lost it before I got to the shuttle port."

"Continue," D'Ras said.

The guards activated the small personal agonizers they carried and placed them on Ta'les' chest. Ramsey inhaled sharply at the stabbing pain that pierced her own chest. She fought to catch her breath. "Stop!" Ramsey shouted.

D'Ras raised his right hand and the guards removed the agonizers. "What reason do I have to stop? The two of you have been as troublesome as a pair of tribbles. It is time to send you on your way to _ghe'tor_, or, perhaps _Sto-Vo-Kor_. Only Kahless knows where your soul will go."

"I sent a coded transmission to a Starfleet Intelligence Operative here on _Qo'nos_. By now, the information is in the hands of the Federation," Ramsey whispered harshly.

"Thank you." D'Ras motioned to his guards and they grabbed Ramsey, dragging her over to the mind probe. "Now, that you've willingly given me part of the information I wanted, we will get the rest of it."

Ramsey found she only had the strength to whimper as the mind probe began peeling back the layers of her mind.

#

"I want to thank you for your help, Commodore," D'Ras said, touching her hand, as she was able to once again focus on her surroundings. "You have shown me where the weak spots in my plans are. And, now, since it would appear I have everything I needed from you, I will send you on your way to the afterlife."

Pressure built in Ramsey's mind. Pain began squeezing her head as the settings on the probe were changed. The swirling chaos engulfed her senses again.

"No!" she heard Ta'les cry.

"What's wrong, Romulan?" D'Ras asked. "You are the one who brought the first accusation against this traitor. You are the one who proclaimed his loyalty to the Empire over his loyalty to a Federation spy. Why would it bother you to see her die for her betrayal of the Empire to which you claim you owe your loyalty?"

Ramsey fought against the pain and the pressure, which again threatened to drown her. As she fought against the barrier in her mind, Ramsey heard the muffled whine of a disrupter being fired. "Ta'les!" she cried as the room again came into focus.

"I knew I couldn't trust him," D'Ras said, smiling at her.

Ramsey cringed as D'Ras walked over and released the restraints. She forced herself to her feet, pushed past D'Ras and stumbled to where her husband lay on the floor.

"He's not dead. Not yet. If and for how long depends on you." D'Ras held up a computer tape. "This contains the information you gave me on Federation defenses. I want you to review it for me."

Ramsey looked up and nodded. "Give me the tape," she said, harshly.

D'Ras handed her the tape and a portable reader. His guards led her back over to the mind probe and held her under it as the information flashed across the screen.

"It's accurate," Ramsey whispered. Her hand shook as she handed the reader to one of the guards.

D'Ras glanced at the technician monitoring the interrogation device. "No evidence of anything being hidden."

"You have the thanks of the entire Empire, K'Lyssia, daughter of Raynia." D'Ras bowed deeply then took the reader from his guard.

"Drop the shielding and contact the Emperor's Pawn," D'Ras said with a nod to one of the guards.

#

Kirk stood in the Brak'nil's transporter room with a large group of Klingons waiting for the go ahead to transport to the surface. "We've got her readings. She's in a secured area, but we've got an open area next to her," he heard McCoy's voice come over the intercom. "Transmitting coordinates. We're reading a total of six life forms her vicinity."

Kirk stepped onto the transporter platform with Kang, Kor and Koloth after the initial two groups had beamed down. He found himself in a dimly lit, narrow corridor. Guards were posted at the ends of the corridor. Kang began scanning each of the rooms.

"Well," Kirk asked, watching Kang check the readings on his scanner.

"She's in here," Kang said indicating the door he was standing in front of. "I'm getting very weak life signs."

The sound of disrupter fire whined behind the locked door. Kang aimed his own weapon at the door and fired.

Kirk and Kang burst into the room in time to see four figures vanish in a transporter beam.

Kirk scanned the room and saw a body crumpled on the floor. "Kang, contact the ship, we found her," he said.

"Immediate area secured, Kang. All defensive systems are down," Koloth said, as he and Kor entered the room.

"Unfortunately, we didn't find D'Ras," Kor said.

"Several persons transported out just as we were arriving. It is of no importance at this time. We are leaving," Kang said then carefully picked Ramsey up.

"Kang, I found Ta'les," Kor said looking at another body.

"Kill him!" Kang ordered.

"No, wait!" Kirk said.

"He betrayed K'Lyssia and he betrayed the Empire!" Koloth said.

"I find that hard to believe. He and K'Lyssia were bonded." Kirk looked at each of the three Klingons.

"I have seen other mated couples betray each other," Kor said, aiming his disrupter.

"This is different. They were bonded in the Vulcan manner. There is a telepathic link between them. There is no way Ta'les could have betrayed K'Lyssia without her knowing he was going to do it. If their bond is a true one, and I believe it is, you will kill her if you kill him."

"I don't understand what it is you mean, Kirk, however, I will trust you. Kor, bring Ta'les with us. I leave his status to K'Lyssia." Kang reached for his communicator. "Thrylah, beam us up and reactivate the cloak."


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

(Empire)

.

.

The Brak'nil rocked violently as the group materialized in the transporter room. Kirk moved to support Kang as the Klingon fought to maintain his balance without dropping Ramsey.

"Report!" Kor slapped a button on the wall and barked the order.

"Commander, the Emperor's Pawn is firing on us. The Honored Warrior has fired on the Emperor's Pawn and is moving to place itself between them and us. We are returning fire while completing transports," Krault said.

"What about the third ship?"

"We have identified her as the Firestorm."

"The Firestorm is D'Ras' ship," Koloth said.

"I'm going to the bridge," Kor said. "Kang, take K'Lyssia to the Infirmary. Koloth, throw Ta'les in the brig."

Kirk stepped between Koloth and the door. "No! He stays with K'Lyssia for now."

Koloth looked from Kirk to Kang, who nodded once, then turned toward the door.

"Commander," Krault's voice came over the intercom. "The Firestorm and the Emperor's Pawn just went into warp. Do we pursue?"

"No. Plot a course to Earth, then contact the Honored Warrior on a secured channel and inform Krithargus we will be proceeding to Federation space, under cloak. Inform him of our course then ask him to head towards Federation space along a different route, warp four. Tell him he is to wait until after we cloak to leave."

"Understood."

"Do not cloak or engage our course until I tell you. I will be on the bridge shortly, Kor out."

#

Kirk followed Kang out of the Brak'nil's transporter room as the Klingon carried Ramsey to the ship's infirmary. The crew they passed stepped out of the way and saluted as Kang passed. He glanced back at Ta'les who moved slowly, violet eyes staring straight ahead. Kirk frowned at the dullness in those eyes and the blank expression on Ta'les' face.

"Put her there," McCoy said when they entered the small infirmary.

Kang placed Ramsey on the only bed in the room and stepped back.

Kirk watched Ta'les move into the shadows of the corner, his eyes never leaving Ramsey. Koloth stood next to Ta'les, his hand on his disrupter as he watched the Romulan.

McCoy ran his medical scanner over Ramsey and frowned.

"Well?" Kang asked.

"She's in bad shape," McCoy said without looking up.

Kirk touched McCoy's shoulder. "Can you wake her?"

"It goes against my better judgment."

"Bones, we need to know what's been going on."

McCoy nodded then placed a hypospray against Ramsey's neck.

"Come on, Kelli, snap out of it. You're safe now." Kirk hoped using her human name would help Ramsey to focus. It also felt more appropriate. With this return to Federation space, he doubted Ramsey would ever be able to return to the Empire.

Kirk smiled as Ramsey slowly opened her eyes. They were still the same dark green he remembered, but the brilliance and defiance was gone from them. Her eyes were as empty and lifeless as Ta'les'. He watched as those dull eyes moved in jerks as Ramsey looked around the room then steadied to stare at him.

"Jim?" Ramsey asked softly. "Are you real this time?"

"Yes, Kitty Kelli, I'm real." He picked up Ramsey's hand and squeezed it gently.

Ramsey's eyes darted around the room again. "Where?" She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "Not real," she whispered.

"You're on board the Brak'nil," Kirk said.

Ramsey opened her eyes again then shut them.

"Stay with us, Kelli," Kirk said, again squeezing her hand gently.

"The Brak'nil?" Ramsey whispered.

"The ship Kor was testing," Kang said, stepping forward to stand opposite Kirk. "The one D'Ras doesn't know about. The cloaking device."

Ramsey turned her head to look at Kang. Kirk saw hope and fear reflected in her eyes. "The cloaking device? No, D'Ras didn't know about that, before. But, he could now." Ramsey's voice took on a hysterical tone. Kirk felt her grip on his hand tighten.

"I can't trust anyone or anything anymore," Ramsey said. "This isn't real. Isn't real!"

Ramsey struggled to get up and Kirk felt something in his hand snap. McCoy pressed a hypospray against Ramsey's neck and she relaxed.

Kirk pulled his hand free and McCoy checked it carefully.

"Not broken, but the thumb's dislocated," McCoy said. He looked around the small room at the few pieces of equipment there and frowned. "Guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way," he said. McCoy grasped Kirk's thumb and pulled.

"What the devil did D'Ras do to her?" McCoy looked down at Ramsey when he finished with Kirk's hand. She continued to fight the effects of the sedative, but her expression had relaxed.

"It is as I suspected," Kang said. "Hypnotics and a mind probe. This creates a problem. With the condition K'Lyssia is in, we will need the information she obtained in order to convince the Federation of D'Ras' plans."

"Why?" McCoy asked

"Think about it, Doctor," Koloth said. "Do you honestly believe your Federation and Starfleet will accept the word of a Klingon?"

"Probably not? But, we had our own intelligence reports showing the changes that have taken place with the ships along the border," McCoy said.

"There's still a problem, Bones," Kirk said. "If we react to these changes without proof of their intent, the Klingons could claim we were the aggressors. They are still in compliance with the treaty we signed. There has been no overt hostile action taken by the Klingons, yet." Kirk paused and looked down at Ramsey before continuing.

"Then there is also the matter of our removal of K'Lyssia from the Empire," Kirk said. "She is still the recognized Leader of the High Council by those outside the Empire. If they wanted to, the council could accuse us of kidnapping her as part of our plan to attack the Empire." Kirk rubbed his hand where McCoy had set the dislocated thumb.

"So what do we do now?" McCoy asked.

"Maybe we can still find that information," Kirk said. "I think I got to know Kelli, from her time on the Enterprise and our trip to Kronos. I'm certain she would have left a way to find where the information was hidden. Where did D'Ras' men catch her?"

"In the shuttle port, on the secondary deck," Kang said.

"Do you know if they found her boot daggers with her?" Kirk asked.

"I don't believe so," Kang said. He glanced at Koloth, who only shrugged in response.

"Then I might be able to find the information," Kirk said with a grin.

"Only if you know the identification patterns for K'Lyssia's weapons."

The four of them turned to look at Ta'les as he stepped out of the corner.

"What do you know of this _maghwI'_?" Koloth demanded.

"Ta'les, no!" Ramsey yelled. She sat up suddenly and swung her right fist at Kirk's face. Before the punch could connect, Kang grabbed her arm and shoulder and forced her back down. Koloth moved to control her left side as she tried to fight.

"This isn't real! Isn't real," Ramsey screamed.

McCoy pressed a hypospray against Ramsey's neck.

"_Qo'_!" Ramsey continued to struggle against Kang and Koloth's restraint, until she finally lapsed into unconsciousness.

Ta'les moved slowly to her side and placed his hand on her cheek. Kirk was surprised at the moisture glistening in his eyes as he looked at his wife. "K'Lyssia told me she had left the computer tape in one of the ventilation shafts that connected to the shuttle deck along with her boot daggers. If you scan for the identification patterns of those, you should find the information you're looking for," Ta'les said.

Kirk nodded. "Koloth, please escort Ta'les to the bridge so he can set up the scan. I'll be in the transporter room.

#

"Admiral," Koloth's voice came over the intercom. "We've located the patterns Ta'les claims are the appropriate ones. Standby."

Kirk rested his hand on the disrupter he was wearing and watched the transporter platform.

A few seconds later, two slender daggers and a small black pouch appeared on the platform. He picked up the items. He took a deep breath as he looked in the pouch. "Damn it, nothing. Koloth, all we got were her daggers and an empty bag. Ask Ta'les what he knows about this."

Kirk crumpled the small bag in his hand then threw it against the wall. "Koloth, I want him still breathing. I'm on my way to the bridge."

Kirk handed the two daggers to the transporter technician. "Deliver these to Sickbay immediately, they belong to the Lady K'Lyssia." He reached down and pulled the small dagger Ramsey had given him out of his right boot and left the transporter room.

#

Kirk stepped to the side quickly as Koloth threw Ta'les into the wall next to the lift. The Romulan's face held several fresh bruises and his eyes were black with his boiling emotions. Kirk knelt down beside Ta'les and gently placed the dagger against his throat. "I want to know where that information is," he said softly.

Ta'les looked straight into his eyes, took a deep breath then shook his head slightly. "I do not know, Admiral."

"Then how did you know to scan for Kelli's dagger ids?"

"I...I melded with her. It was done...done to help her protect the information she carried. She doesn't even know where she left it anymore. I...I tried to remove her knowledge of the Federation defense information, but her mind fought me. I failed to protect her and would welcome your blade right now Kirk." His eyes looked away for a moment then he bowed his head and closed them.

"But..." Kirk said.

"But, K'Lyssia and I were bonded in the Vulcan manner, mind to mind. If you kill me, you kill her also."

Kirk pulled the knife back from Ta'les' throat and frowned. "It is only for her sake that I do not turn you over to Koloth. If I find out you willingly betrayed K'Lyssia, the Empire and the Federation, you will wish I had let Koloth kill you."

Kirk stood up and turned to Koloth. "See he's cleaned up then take him back to Sickbay."

"This _maghwI'_ is not worth the effort, Kirk. We cannot risk further betrayals on his part," Koloth protested.

"K'Lyssia's life is still dependent on his. In her present state she would never survive having their marriage bond severed." Kirk glanced down at the dagger he carried, then nodded once. He gripped the blade with his right hand cutting the palm. "I pledge to you Koloth. If Ta'les is indeed the traitor you name him, I will turn him over to you."

Koloth nodded. "I accept your oath, Kirk. I swear his life is safe until that time." He drew his _d'k tahg_ and cut his palm, sealing his oath with his blood as Kirk had done.

"Kor, set course for Starfleet Headquarters, maximum warp."

"Immediately," Kor said. "My crew and I have always wanted to visit Earth."


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

(Empire)

.

.

"Damn it! Not again," McCoy said as the lights in the small infirmary went out. He waited for the emergency lighting to kick in. The room remained dark.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered as he groped his way to the small desk. "No emergency power in a sickbay." He slid his hand along the desk, feeling for the intercom button.

"How is she?"

McCoy looked up to see Ta'les standing in the doorway, Koloth behind him. The emergency lights from the corridor bathed the Infirmary in a red glow.

"Not good," McCoy said. "And now, I can't monitor her properly. Apparently, Klingons don't consider Sickbay an essential system."

"No, Doctor, we do not. A Klingon warrior lives or dies by his own strength. We do not tolerate weakness," Koloth said.

"Weakness?" McCoy blurted.

"However, I will talk to the Engineer about routing emergency power to Sickbay systems." Koloth said. "_maghwI'_, you will remain here until your security escort arrives." Koloth turned and left.

Ta'les reached out and touched the door controls, locking the door in the open position then moved to stand next to Ramsey's bed.

McCoy picked up his medical tricorder and scanner then stepped over next to Ta'les. "Your turn," he said.

"I am fine, Doctor. I prefer you focus your attention on K'Lyssia," Ta'les said.

"Ta'les, I know Kelli would want me to take care of you as well. Even without the scanner I can tell you've been beat badly and need medical attention."

"Doctor, I insist. I am fine. Now, please leave me alone." Ta'les reached down and touched Ramsey's face, caressing her check.

"Been living around Klingons too long," McCoy muttered.

"Bones."

McCoy turned to see Kirk entering the room with a portable light in each hand. One of the Klingon security guards followed him with two more.

"Where do you want these?" Kirk asked.

"Put two on the desk. One in each of those corners, there." He pointed to the corners on either side of the bed. "What about power to the systems?" McCoy asked.

"Lieutenant Taj is working on it," the guard said. "Will that be all?" He looked at Kirk.

Kirk nodded and the Klingon left the room.

"Well, how is she?" Kirk asked.

"Physically, she's in bad shape." McCoy ran his scanner over Ramsey and looked at the tricorder. "She appears to have been beaten several times. There were also several knife wounds. In addition, she's suffering from serious fatigue. Emotionally and mentally, your guess is as good as mine is right now. I don't have the proper equipment here, even if it was functional, to monitor her brain activity. Ta'les, how many times did D'Ras use a mind probe on her?"

"Many times. He also used it in conjunction with hypnotics," Ta'les said.

"What was he trying to achieve?" Kirk asked.

"He was trying to get information. The hypnotics were used in an effort to convince her he was one of her allies. He wanted information on Federation defense strategies."

"What did she tell him?" Kirk demanded.

"I am not sure. During the last session, before you arrived, I was not able to focus on anything she specifically said. We had tried to escape and K'Lyssia began thinking it was another of D'Ras' illusions. She tried to kill herself."

"The knife wound in the chest?" McCoy asked.

"Yes. Earlier she had told me to leave her if something happened and to bring the information to the Federation. However, I could not leave her. We were both caught. Before he began interrogating K'Lyssia, D'Ras made her watch as his guards beat me."

Ta'les clenched his fists tightly and took a deep breath and held it for a minute before relaxing and continuing. "After that he again put her under the mind probe and questioned her at length regarding Starfleet defenses. Information he recorded and she verified for him." Ta'les clenched his fists tightly and turned away from McCoy and Kirk's gaze.

Ta'les stood for several seconds, watching Ramsey. "After D'Ras finished with his questions, he ordered the technician to use the mind probe to kill her. He wanted her to die from the pain. The power of that device seriously damaged our bond."

McCoy stared at Ta'les then glanced at Kirk. The Admiral was staring also. They both understood what it meant for a Vulcan to have the mental bond with their spouse broken. "Wait a minute. You're saying your marriage bond may have been broken," he said. "Why aren't you dead?"

"And, what about what you just told me on the bridge? If your bond was that badly damaged, you still survived." Kirk demanded, taking a step towards Ta'les.

"I am not sure the bond was completely severed. I can still feel K'Lyssia in my mind, even if we are not truly bonded anymore; I know we are still linked. It may not be a true marriage bond, but I know she will need me when she regains consciousness," Ta'les said, placing his hand on Ramsey's shoulder.

"I wish she would regain consciousness. Then I could do a better assessment of her mental state. And, we might find out a little more about this link." McCoy ran his scanner over her again and frowned at the readings. "She's in a lot of pain, despite the drugs and there's nothing I can do at this time."

"Maybe I can help," Ta'les said. "If I can reach the bond, it should help."

"It's worth a shot," McCoy said.

"Ta'les, I still don't know whether to trust you or not," Kirk said. "Remember; your life is dependent on hers as well."

Ta'les bowed his head slightly. "I understand, Admiral."

While Ta'les stood next to Ramsey, McCoy quietly scanned him. Because Ramsey's life was linked to Ta'les he was determined to make sure the Romulan wasn't going to die on them any time soon. McCoy glanced down at the tricorder then looked up at Ta'les as smiled. "No wonder you didn't want me to look at you my friend," he said softly.

"Does she know you're Vulcan?" McCoy asked after Ta'les broke the meld with Ramsey.

"Excuse me?" Kirk asked.

"I asked if Kelli knew he was Vulcan." McCoy turned back to Ta'les. "You have no Romulan ancestry. You're full Vulcan. Does she know?"

"There are no secrets between two who are bonded," Ta'les said. "However, I prefer to continue to be thought of as a Romulan within the Empire."

"If you're Vulcan, why were you living in the Empire?" Kirk asked.

"I am a follower of T'Vet. There are few opportunities for warriors on Vulcan. The followers of Surak lead the planet now. I decided to leave and go somewhere where I did not have to pretend to be other than I am. I lived in the Romulan Empire for several years before going to the Klingon Empire as part of a military exchange program. There, I became a member of House Lynsia's guards and eventually part of Council Leader K'Lyion's personal guard."

"So you knew K'Lyssia as she was growing up." Kirk looked at Ramsey.

"I did," Ta'les said.

"What was she like," Kirk asked.

"Much as she is now." Ta'les reached down and brushed Ramsey's hair back from her face, and gently caressed her check. "Headstrong, with an honest belief in honor. Because her uncle trained her in the true paths of honor, she never fully understood how ruthless many within the Empire can be in the name of personal glory." Ta'les looked back down at his wife.

"In many ways, her uncle kept her very sheltered as she grew up. He wanted her to learn the meaning of what Kahless taught in his _Codes of Honor_. K'Lyion wanted her to lead the Empire back to the true path of honor." Ta'les moved his hand down to Ramsey's, the first and index fingers touching hers for a moment, before he clasped her hand lightly.

"When he designated K'Lyssia as his successor, K'Lyion realized he was placing his niece in danger from his political rivals. He was the one who ordered her kidnapping and the use of the mind probe to block her memories. I was the one who suggested sending her to the Federation. Since K'Lyion wanted her to eventually lead the High Council, I thought this would give her a chance to learn what the Federation was really like."

"K'Lyion agreed to the idea of sending his niece and heir to live with the enemies of his people?" Kirk asked.

"Yes. K'Lyion never hated the Federation the way others do. Unfortunately, he was only one man and could not control the actions of others."

"So what happened to Kelli?" Kirk asked. "It seemed like she would be a strong leader for the Empire."

"She lived in the Federation too long, before returning to the Empire," Ta'les said.

"What is that suppose to mean?" McCoy asked.

"She forgot how to think like a Klingon. K'Lyion tried to get her to come back to the Empire several years ago, but she refused. He wanted to have her at his side for a couple of years, so she could learn about the members of the High Council. In short, she was not prepared for the ruthlessness of Klingon politics. It was her naiveté which caused her to fail as Leader of the High Council."

"I've been meaning to ask," McCoy said, after several seconds. "What happened to her ridges? I remember they had started developing prior to her leaving the Enterprise."

Ta'les laid his right hand on Ramsey's forehead and continued to study her face. "D'Ras had her surgically altered, removing all evidence of her Klingon heritage from her appearance." The Vulcan turned to face them, anger burning in his violet eyes.

"He what?" Kirk stared at Ta'les.

"Why would he do that?" McCoy asked.

"When K'Lyssia appeared before the court to face D'Ras' charge of treason, she was stripped of all rights as a Klingon. Her name was ordered removed from all records and from the roles of House Lynsia. She is no longer considered Klingon. D'Ras wanted to remind her of that." Ta'les swayed on his feet and reached for the edge of the bed.

"You need to get some rest," McCoy said. "Jim, can you have someone escort him to quarters?"

"No!" Ta'les jerked away from McCoy. "I will not leave her!"

"Be reasonable. You're no good to her in this condition. You're exhausted and need rest. If I have to, I'll call Koloth and have you escorted by a security detail," McCoy said.

"Doctor, I appreciate your concern, but I will not leave her again."

"Bones, perhaps a sleeping mat can be provided for Ta'les here." Kirk placed a hand on McCoy's shoulder.

"That will suffice," Ta'les said.

"Have two sent down. With the lack of proper equipment in this Sickbay, I'm not leaving my patient either."

"I'll talk to Kor," Kirk said, then turned toward to the still open door.

"Currently active ten Constitution Class Heavy Cruisers," Ramsey said.

McCoy glanced at Kirk. "Jim...?"

Kirk shook his head, hit the door controls, shutting the door then turned his attention to Ramsey.

"Twenty Saladin Class Destroyers, fifteen Hermes Class Scouts," Ramsey said.

McCoy watched the anger and shock cross Kirk's face as they listened to Ramsey list the current active strength of Starfleet. "Jim," he said. "It's not her fault. Judging by the shape she's in, Kelli fought hard against saying anything. Both of us read Spock's report after Organia. Even he admitted he wouldn't have been able to protect himself at higher levels," he said.

"I know that!" Kirk turned to glare at McCoy. "What I don't know, and what I need to know is what she actually told him. How do we adapt our current strategy? The worst part of it-in the shape she's in, can we trust what she tells us. You saw her earlier. She's still trying to deny this could be real. If her mind is still trapped by the illusions D'Ras created, how do we get her back? What kind of shape will she be in if we do?" Kirk asked, glancing from McCoy to Ta'les.

"I don't know. I do believe Ta'les is our best bet of getting her back with her mind in one piece." McCoy looked at the Vulcan who still stood next to Ramsey holding her hand.

"Ta'les," Kirk said. "I need you to think. What do you remember of what she told D'Ras?"

"Admiral, I was trying to fight the pain she was in, protect her from what the guards were doing to me and bolster her strength. I was not listening to what she was saying."

"Think! Did she mention the Dreadnoughts?"

Ta'les closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. McCoy saw the emotion leave the Vulcan's face as he relaxed.

"I do not recall her mentioning them," Ta'les said after several minutes.

"I know it's difficult, but I need as much information as you can remember."

"Of course." The Vulcan nodded slowly

McCoy frowned at the sudden paleness in Ta'les face, the half-closed eyes and the sag in his shoulders. "It can wait until tomorrow. You need to get some rest. Jim, I'll let you know about anything else that happens." McCoy nodded to the door. "Doctor's orders."

"I'll send a recording unit with the sleeping mats. Keep it handy," Kirk said.

"I will. Now, shoo."

Kirk looked at Ta'les, and McCoy saw his eyes appraising the tall Vulcan. "Your word as a Vulcan-you did not betray K'Lyssia, the Empire or the Federation."

"My word as a Vulcan and as a warrior, Admiral."

Kirk nodded sharply then left the room.

#

"Admiral, we are receiving no acknowledgement of our transmission to Starfleet," The Klingon at the tactical station said when stepped onto the bridge.

Kirk looked at the officer, whose name he didn't know, and nodded. "Thank you. Continue to send at irregular intervals." Kirk turned away from the tactical station and stepped down onto the command deck.

"Kor, have you been able to contact any of K'Lyssia's allies for support?" he asked.

"I am hesitant to make any more transmissions, Kirk. We do not know if D'Ras will be able to track us through them. I have contacted Khem'Ra and Ke'vheg; they will be marshalling those loyal to their houses. I gave them the names of others I believe we can trust. They swore to contact them as well. Krithargus will be contacting the other ships belonging to Clan Q'ong. If this works out we should be able to trap D'Ras' forces between the Federation fleet and our ships. I will tell you this Kirk, unless D'Ras is onboard a ship that is destroyed in the battle, I doubt he will lose his position on the High Council when this is over. He has many powerful supporters who will continue to support him," Kor said.

"I'm not surprised. That is the way of politicians everywhere-even within the Federation." Kirk glanced around the cramped bridge of the Klingon ship. "If you will excuse me, Commander, it has been a long day, I need to get some rest."

"Of course, Admiral. We will talk again later." Kor turned his attention back to the viewscreen, ignoring Kirk.


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

(Empire)

.

.

"Security to Sickbay!" McCoy's voice came over the intercom, followed by a loud crash.

Kirk jumped up from the table and followed Kang and Koloth out of the mess hall.

When they arrived at the small Sickbay, Kang ordered the guards out of the room and locked the door. Ramsey stood in front of Ta'les, her right hand around his throat as she held him against the far wall. McCoy was slumped in the corner behind the small desk.

"_petaQ_! Why did you tell them?" Ramsey shouted at Ta'les.

Ta'les only stared at her through half-closed eyes. Kirk was surprised at the appearance of calm on the Vulcan's face, considering the situation.

"Answer me!" Ramsey said, slapping Ta'les hard across the face with her left hand.

Ta'les shook his head slightly, his eyes opening fully. "I did not betray you or the Empire, Kitten," he said softly, his voice raspy. "Please come back to us. You are no longer in D'Ras' interrogation chambers. You are on Kor's ship. Kang and Koloth are here, as are Kirk and McCoy."

Ramsey stepped back her hand dropping from Ta'les neck to his chest. "Kor's ship?" she whispered.

Ta'les took a slow deep breath and nodded once.

"Yes, K'Lyssia. We are on Kor's ship," Kang said stepping around Ramsey to stand next to Ta'les.

"Kelli, it's almost over. We're headed to the Federation." Kirk moved to stand next to Ta'les. "Trust me, Kelli. You once asked me to trust you, now I'm asking you to trust me."

"Jim?"

"Yes, Kelli. I'm really here this time." Kirk placed his hand on Kelli's and gently pulled it away from Ta'les. He felt her fingers brush across the scar left by her dagger during their confrontation in his quarters on the Enterprise and nodded as she looked at his face. Her green eyes searching his for proof this wasn't one of D'Ras' illusions.

Kang reached for Ramsey's other hand. "Come K'Lyssia, you need to get some rest." He gestured to the bed with his free hand.

Ramsey looked at Kang, then jerked away from his touch, her eyes going wide. She took a step back, then suddenly lashed out with her right hand, her palm connecting with Kang's nose. The Klingon's head hit the wall hard.

Ta'les moved to step between Ramsey and Kang and fell to the floor as she backhanded him.

"_Qo'_!" Ramsey brought her arm back to strike again and Kirk grabbed it. Ramsey grabbed Kirk's wrist with her free hand and twisted sharply, trying to break his grip.

Kirk felt something in his wrist snap and he released his hold on Ramsey.

Koloth grabbed her wrist and elbow, breaking her hold on Kirk's wrist. He twisted the arm back behind Ramsey's back as she continued to struggle against their control.

Kirk used his uninjured hand to grab Ramsey's free arm and prevent her from hitting Kang or Koloth.

"Kang, you have supported my uncle in the past," Ramsey said suddenly. "Our houses are allied. Why do you do this? Have you no honor? Do you now sell your services to the highest bidder, or is this part of a scheme for personal power?" Ramsey gasped out the questions as she continued to struggle with Kirk and Koloth.

"K'Lyssia?" Kang asked softly.

"Kang, you can't do this!" Ramsey screamed. "No!"

Kirk slapped Ramsey hard across her face. He gritted his teeth against the pain it caused in his wrist. "Commodore Kelli Jolynda Ramsey, that is enough!" he snapped.

Ramsey relaxed slightly and turned to look at him. "Admiral Kirk? Jim?" she asked softly.

"Welcome back, Kitty Kelli." He released his grip on her arm and nodded at Koloth, who released her other arm, and took a step back.

"Jim? What's going on?" Ramsey voice was strained and she struggled for the words.

"We're going back to the Federation to warn them about D'Ras' plans," Kirk said.

"Federation? D'Ras?" Ramsey clenched her fists and pressed them against her temples. "D'Ras? _Qo'_!" Ramsey screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor.

"K'Lyssia!" Ta'les reached for Ramsey and was blocked by Koloth.

"Stay away from her, _maghwI'_! She has condemned you with her own words." Koloth drew his _d'k tahg_.

"And, has she also condemned Kang?" Kirk asked. "You gave me your word, Koloth. I have not given you his life, yet."

Koloth sheathed his dagger and glared at Kirk. "Do not forget your oath or it will be your life that is forfeit, Kirk."

"I know what a blood oath means, Koloth," Kirk said.

"Koloth return to the bridge," Kang said.

Koloth nodded sharply then left the room.

"Ta'les, help me get her on the bed," McCoy said forcing himself back to his feet.

"Doctor, perhaps we should keep K'Lyssia under restraint for now," Kang said.

McCoy looked at Ta'les as they reached to lift Ramsey onto the bed. "What do you think?"

"It would be a safer course for now. At least until we can bring her back to herself," Ta'les said.

Kirk jumped back as he felt someone grab his right foot. He glanced down to see Ramsey pulling the dagger from his boot. "Kelli, no!" He tried to grab the weapon from her as she slashed Ta'les arm and turned to face McCoy.

Kang reached around Ramsey and twisted the blade. He held the engraved hilt in front of her as they knelt on the floor. "Look at it, K'Lyssia! Look at the design!"

"House Lynsia," she said weakly. Her free hand touched the dagger's hilt. "My house." She took a hesitant breath. "Enterprise? This is the Enterprise's symbol." She released the dagger and looked up. "D'Ras? No! Jim?"

Kirk knelt down and placed his hands on Ramsey's shoulders. "I'm here, Kelli."

Ramsey stared at him for several minutes then slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Together Kang and Kirk placed Ramsey on the bed.

"Ta'les, if you would, please." McCoy said, gesturing to the restraining straps on the bed. While Ta'les took care of the restraints, McCoy picked up his medical scanner and began checking Kang.

"Good thing Klingons have such thick skulls, that was a pretty hard hit you took. No signs of a concussion, or other injury except the broken nose," McCoy said.

"Thank you, Doctor. If you will excuse me, I will make a report to Kor," Kang said then left the room.

"It's broken, Jim," McCoy said after scanning Kirk's wrist. "And, I don't see anything resembling a bone knitter around here. We'll have to do this the old fashioned way; with a split." McCoy ran the scanner again. "The bones are still aligned-so I won't have to set it. Wiggle your fingers for me."

Kirk wiggled the fingers of his right hand slowly.

"Good. Give me a few minutes and we'll get a splint on it."

Kirk watched as McCoy checked the restraints on Ramsey then ran the medical scanner over Ta'les.

"Everything seems to be okay, but you need to get some rest." He turned and ran the scanner over Ramsey. McCoy looked at the readout then ran the scanner again. "That's odd," he muttered.

"What's wrong," Kirk asked.

"The pain readings are gone. I'm not getting anything right now."

"That's good isn't it?" Kirk asked.

"I don't know. I don't have the proper equipment to do the type of scan I need."

"She has retreated deeper inside herself, behind a wall." Ta'les said. "I can not reach her at this time."

"Get some rest," McCoy said. "Come on Jim, let's get that wrist splinted and wrapped. Then I want you to get some rest."

"You need to take your own advice, Bones," Kirk said.

"I have a patient to care for. I'll rest when she's stable. One other thing: Thanks for not using an energy weapon on her, during all that. With everything D'Ras did to her, she doesn't need that added shock to her nervous or neural systems."

"To tell you the truth, I didn't think about using a phaser on stun, I just jumped in. But, I'll remember in case we have to wrestle with her again."


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

(Empire)

.

.

McCoy stumbled into the small room he and Kirk had been assigned as quarters.

"Finally decided to get some rest," Kirk said.

"Ta'les told me we would be approaching Earth in a few hours, and tried to order me to get some sleep. There's nothing more I can really do at this point and he's monitoring Kelli." McCoy sat on his bunk and pulled his boots off, dropping them on the floor.

"And, Koloth agreed to this?"

"I didn't ask him. I don't care what he thinks-Ta'les didn't betray Kelli. I trust him to watch her." McCoy paused and rubbed his neck. "I'll be glad when we finally get to Earth, Jim. Kelli's condition appears to be deteriorating. She's slipping in and out of consciousness too much. I can't seem to get her to stabilize. Ta'les tried to meld with her again and was forced out of her mind. He doesn't think he'll be able to help her anymore and suggested taking her straight to Vulcan," McCoy said, moving to sit at the small table.

"How bad is it? Will she be able to help us explain what's going on?" Kirk asked.

"I don't know. It's still iffy. Last time she was awake, she didn't seem to know who any of us were. The time before that..." "The time before that," Kirk interrupted. "The time before that, she attacked Kang and it took all of us to restrain her." He rubbed at his right wrist.

"Wrist bothering you again? Let me see it."

Kirk held his wrist out for McCoy to look at it. "It hurts most of the time, particularly if I move it wrong," he said.

McCoy gently palpated the wrist. "I need to wrap it again. Remind me to check it again, when we get to Earth."

Kirk nodded absently. "Bones, do you think Kelli will be okay; once we get her back?" he asked.

"I don't know. I really wish we could take stop off at Vulcan, like Ta'les suggested. What she needs most right now is a Mind Healer."

"Unfortunately, we can't do that. We weren't able to recover any of the information Kelli recorded. We need her to convince Starfleet the threat is real."

"Jim, she may not be in any condition to convince anyone of anything." Bones looked at his friend and shook his head.

"I don't care what it takes, she has to be able to help present the information to Admiral Nogura. Without her, we have nothing." Kirk slapped the table.

"Don't you think I know that, but I will not risk killing her for something that may or may not work. I'm only a simple country doctor, not a miracle worker. You want miracles-you should have brought Scotty instead of me."

McCoy looked up as the door to their quarters opened and Koloth entered.

"We'll be approaching Earth shortly," Koloth said. "Kor wants to assume a close orbit then decloak long enough for your group to transport down. He requests you arrive in the transporter room early Admiral. He is going to continue hailing on the subspace channel you provided and hope we are not destroyed when we decloak."

"Understood. Was there anything else?" Kirk asked.

"Have you made a decision regarding the _maghwI'_?"

"He goes to Earth with us. If K'Lyssia is unable to present her evidence, we may need him."

"He is a traitor. You cannot trust what he may tell you!"

"I will keep that in mind," Kirk said.

"And, what of your blood oath?"

"If he is proven to be the traitor you claim, he will be turned over to Kang to be returned to the Empire and you."

"You salute the stars," Koloth said, offering Kirk the Klingon salute.

"May I always prove worthy of your trust," Kirk replied, returning the salute.

"One last thing Admiral. This is for you. I picked it up from a mutual acquaintance-a trader by the name of Cyrano Jones." Koloth tossed Kirk a small package then left the room.

Kirk shook the package gingerly. "Think I should open it?" he asked.

"I wouldn't," McCoy said. "Remember where Scotty sent the tribbles?"

"I remember, but part of being a starship captain is taking risks," Kirk said.

McCoy frowned as Kirk carefully opened the package. "You're not a starship captain anymore," he muttered.

"It appears to be harmless," Kirk said, opening the box. Inside was a large golden spican flame gem carved into the shape of the Enterprise's delta shield.

McCoy looked at the familiar design and realized it wasn't as harmless as Kirk thought. He doubted it was intentional, but knew it would eventually prove to be a cruel joke. In a very short time, his friend would come to hate Koloth for this gift. It wouldn't be long before the gem became a reminder of everything _Captain_ James T. Kirk had given up when he had accepted promotion to Admiral. "I wouldn't be so sure of that," he muttered.

"What was that, Bones?" Kirk asked.

"Nothing, Jim. Come on, you can help me get Kelli ready for transport. I only hope the automatic defense systems don't vaporize us before we beam down." McCoy paused and frowned. "Now, I know I've been on this ship too long, I'm actually ready to use a transporter, and a Klingon one at that."

"Then we better hurry. I'd hate to see you develop a taste for bloodwine."

McCoy watched Kirk pick up the flame gem then glance at him with a quizzical look on his face. He didn't elaborate on his suspicions as they left the room.

#

"How is she?" McCoy asked as he and Kirk entered the Sickbay.

Ramsey was sitting on the bed dressed in the tattered Starfleet uniform she had been wearing when they found her. A glint of silver at the tops of her boots showed her daggers had been returned. She was also wearing a heavy gray cloak. Her green eyes were unfocused as she stared at the wall.

Ta'les looked up and frowned. "I was able to perform a light meld. She is not fighting me as strongly this time, but there are several walls in her mind I cannot get around. I do not have the strength or the training to open her mind back up. Despite this, she is calmer and more lucid than any other time on this trip. I have placed her in a light trance for the transport. I will bring her out of it after we reach Earth. With proper care she should recover."

"Will she be able to help us when we arrive at Starfleet headquarters?" Kirk asked.

"I do not know. I do not recommend pushing her to remember anything. Her mind is carefully balanced at this time and pushing her could lock her behind those walls completely." Ta'les frowned at the anger in Kirk's face. "Admiral, I understand your frustration, but you will not help your cause by destroying her mind. I will continue to assist as much as I can. Both with K'Lyssia's recovery and with what information I can provide."

"Thank you," McCoy said. "Let's get her to the transporter room."

Ta'les helped Ramsey from the bed and held her gently in his arms as they walked down the corridor.

#

"Kirk, sensors are detecting Earth's automatic defense systems. No indications they have tracked us yet, but they will as soon as we decloak," Kang said.

"As soon as they pick us up, shields will go up over Starfleet Headquarters. Do you have to be fully decloaked before we can transport?" Kirk asked.

"Yes."

Kirk thought a moment and glanced around the transporter room. The only other people there were McCoy, Ta'les, Ramsey, Kang and the transporter operator. "You, out," he said pointing to the Klingon at the transporter controls.

"Kang, I need a secured subspace channel."

Kang nodded then moved over to the small communications channel and showed Kirk the system. "You have a secured channel."

"Thank you."

Kang moved to the far side of the room. Kirk appreciated the gesture. "Kirk to Starfleet Command," he said. "Command override authorization requested on automatic defense systems."


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

(Federation)

.

.

"Admiral Nogura, I'm receiving a hail from Admiral Kirk. He's requesting command override on the defense systems," one the technicians said.

Admiral Heihachiro Nogura looked up and walked over to the communications console. "Where is the transmission coming from?" he asked.

"I don't know. It has a Klingon carrier signal, but appears to be coming from a ship in close orbit. Sensors are detecting no ships in that area. However, Admiral Kirk's personal security code is embedded in the transmission." The technician glanced up at the Admiral. "Should I send a reply, Sir?"

"Yes. Inform Kirk he will have his override for no more than three minutes." Admiral Nogura glanced at the primary control console for the defense system. Several of the officers nodded then turned their attention to the panels. "System is on override, Admiral."

"Sir, we have a Klingon Bird of Prey decloaking," one of the technicians shouted over the alarm claxons that started sounding.

#

Kirk looked around as he and his group materialized in the command center. Several security officers immediately surrounded them.

"Sir, we've lost all contact with the vessel. They must have recloaked," someone shouted over the alarms.

Admiral Nogura's calm voice easily carried over the clamor. "Shut off those alarms," he said. "Well, James, I think you have some explaining to do. All of you-come with me." He motioned to an adjoining briefing room.

"Begging the Admiral's pardon," McCoy interrupted. "I need to get Commodore Ramsey to medical facilities."

Nogura walked over and looked closely at the hooded figure now being carefully supported by a tall Vulcan. "Kelli?" he asked.

"Sir." Ramsey pulled away from Ta'les, standing straight and meeting Nogura's eyes.

Kirk was surprised and pleased at the strength he heard in Ramsey's voice as she answered the Admiral. He glanced at Ta'les and saw the concentration on the Vulcan's face. Kirk nudged McCoy and nodded towards Ta'les.

"Damn it, I told him not to do that" McCoy whispered.

"Do what?" Kirk asked.

"He's linked himself to her and is sharing his strength. This isn't good. If she has another bad episode, we could lose them both," McCoy said.

Kirk glanced again at Ta'les and nodded to himself. He understood that kind of loyalty. If he had needed any further assurance Ta'les wasn't a traitor to Kelli this was it. His blood oath was satisfied. All he had to do now was convince Kang and Koloth.

"Think you're up for a short conference, Commodore?" Nogura asked.

"Yes, Sir," she said.

"There's your answer, Doctor." Nogura led the group into the briefing room.

"Sir, I must protest. You don't understand..." McCoy said.

"Your objections are noted, Doctor."

"I'll be fine, Doctor McCoy," Ramsey said softly. "I'm in control of myself and I know where I am."

"Very well." McCoy glanced at Ta'les. "Only a short conference."

The group followed the Admiral into the briefing room.

Nogura turned to Kirk as the doors to the room closed. "I assume this has something to do with our discussion before you left."

"Yes, Sir," Kirk said.

Heihachiro Nogura may have been a small man, but his command presence could fill a room. Right now, his carefully concealed anger was being directed at Kirk, who forced himself to stand even straighter under the intense scrutiny.

"The situation we feared was a bit worse than suspected. A member of the Klingon High Council is planning an attack on the Federation," Kirk said.

"I managed to obtain a copy of Councilor D'Ras' plans and was attempting to bring them to the Federation, but I was captured by D'Ras before I could get off planet," Ramsey said.

"Where are these plans now?" Nogura asked.

Ramsey's breath caught as she swayed on her feet slightly. Ta'les reached out to support her and she stepped away from him. "I don't know," she finally said.

"We attempted to retrieve them after rescuing Commodore Ramsey, but the information had already been taken by someone else," Kirk said.

"A member of House DarkH warned K'Lyssia about D'Ras' the night he attempted to have her assassinated in her chambers. I understand there was at least one Starfleet intelligence operative posing as a member of either that house or House Veska," Ta'les said.

"Who are you?" Nogura demanded.

"I am Ta'les. K'Lyssia's husband and head of her personal guard."

"You're correct," a voice said as another Admiral stepped out of the shadows. "There was an intelligence operative within one of those two houses."

Ramsey nodded. "I was able to send a short message to both Ke'vheg and Khem'Ra and inform them of my plans to meet Kang. I knew the information would reach the right person. It appears it did."

"It did. My operative was able to find the tape you left and bring it here without interference," the Admiral said.

"Admiral Honeycutt and his staff have analyzed the information on the tape. I would appreciate hearing each of your thoughts on this matter." Admiral Nogura turned to Kang. "Commander," he said. "I would also appreciate any information you may have on this situation."

"I will help with this matter only. I will not betray the Empire," Kang said.

"I understand. Security will escort you to quarters. A briefing will be arranged for eighteen hundreds hours tonight. I'll expect Admiral Kirk, Commander Kang and Commodore Ramsey to be there." Nogura placed a hand on Ramsey's shoulder. "You get some rest, we'll need you for this, Kelli."

"Aye, Sir." Ramsey's voice trembled as she spoke.

"James," Nogura said as the others stepped out of the room. "Just so you are aware, Admiral Cartwright will be at the briefing." He glanced toward Ramsey and Kang.

Kirk nodded. "I understand, but I won't make any guarantees. Her reaction to him will primarily be dependent on his attitude toward her." He turned and followed the group out.

#

Kirk walked into the briefing room with Kang and Ramsey. Doctor McCoy hadn't been willing to let Ramsey attend this meeting, but had finally backed down to those blazing green eyes. It was nice to see the defiance back in Ramsey's attitude. Before they had entered this room, she was once again the brash and arrogant cadet with a record number of reprimands in her Academy files. The daring officer who had deliberately worn the most provocative uniform combination she could get away with to greet the heads of the ambassadorial delegations to Khitomer. And, the strong, defiant half-human who had fought D'Ban for her right to claim the leadership of the Klingon High Council. As they stepped through the door of the briefing room, he felt a hesitance and tensing in Ramsey as soon as she saw Admiral Cartwright sitting at the table. "Kelli?" he asked softly.

"I'll be okay, Jim," she replied, squaring her shoulders.

Kirk noticed she never took her gaze away from Cartwright. He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder and saw a thin smile on her lips in return.

"Nice to see you again, Ramsey," Cartwright said, as they sat down.

Ramsey didn't reply.

"Good afternoon," Admiral Nogura said when he entered the room. "As most of you already know we have a situation brewing. Admiral Honeycutt, I'll turn the briefing over to you."

"Thank you, Sir. Based on information obtained by Commodore Ramsey and delivered to Starfleet Intelligence, as well as various intelligence reports for the past three months, the Federation may well be facing a possible invasion by forces from within the Klingon Empire." The Admiral stood up and activated the viewscreen.

The group studied the map of Federation space along the Neutral Zone with the Klingon Empire. The map showed several large groups of vessels in position to cross the border.

"What it appears D'Ras is planning is to move his ships into position within the Neutral Zone as shown on the map," Ramsey said. "Once they are in position, he will order his forces to cross into Federation territory. D'Ras is not planning to try to conquer the Federation. All he wants to do is grab territory along the border."

Admiral Honeycutt pushed a series of controls and the display changed to highlight the areas threatened. "He is hoping surprise will work in his favor," he said.

The display changed again and a list of ships and their capabilities and their projected positions came up. "This is what we are estimating the Federation will be up against," Admiral Honeycutt said, sitting back down.

"What about the Organians? The last time the Klingons tried something like, they stopped it cold," Admiral Ciana asked.

*** "They won't interfere in this, and it's my fault," Ramsey said.

"Just how do you figure that?" Nogura asked.

Kirk saw a predatory smile on Cartwright's face as he leaned forward to listen to Ramsey.

"Admiral," Ramsey focused her attention on Admiral Nogura, ignoring Cartwright. "The exact wording of the Organian Peace Treaty reads: 'Henceforth from this time, within a zone seven hundred and fifty parsecs in width between the adjacent territorial boundaries of both parties, no armed hostilities may take place between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets.' So according to the Organians, the only place we can't fight is within the Neutral Zone."

"And, it was your idea to open the Neutral Zone, completely, with no restrictions," Cartwright said suddenly. "You're right, this situation is your fault!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Ramsey turned to glare at Cartwright "Why do you think I'm here, trying to stop this?"

"Are you really trying to stop it? How do we know this isn't part of your plan? Here you are; a half Klingon, who deserted her post in order to return to the Empire. This, after you were assigned to the Tactical Operations Division for several years. A position where you had access to most of our defense plans for the areas now being threatened by the Klingons!" Cartwright said.

Ramsey slammed her palms down on the table and half-rose out of her chair. "How dare you! I will not sit here and listen to this. I risked my life and my sanity to get this information to the Federation. I will not be insulted by a _petaQ_ like you." She jumped up and lunged across the table at Cartwright.

"Enough!" Nogura shouted as two of the security officers tried to separate Cartwright and Ramsey.

Kirk managed to catch Ramsey as she collapsed. A low growl behind him warned that Kang now wanted to deal with Admiral Cartwright himself. He handed Ramsey to the Klingon as he stepped between him and Cartwright.

Cartwright glared at Kirk, but stepped back a couple of steps. "This isn't over," he muttered.

Kirk glanced back at Kang then looked at Cartwright. "You better hope it is," he said softly. Cartwright glanced past his shoulder at Kang and his eyes narrowed tightly.

"K'Lyssia!" Ta'les cried as he rushed into the room, followed by McCoy.

"What happened?" McCoy asked.

"She tried to assault me, then collapsed," Cartwright said.

"You insulted her honor and _that_ provoked her reaction," Kang said.

"Admiral, Commodore Ramsey must be taken to medical facilities," McCoy said. "She has pushed herself too far."

"Agreed," Nogura said. "James, I want you and Kang back here as soon as possible."

Kirk looked at Nogura and frowned at the dismissal. He and Kang weren't needed to escort Ramsey. He saw the Commander-in-Chief's eyes dart to Cartwright then Kang. The Admiral and the Klingon were still glaring at each other. He nodded his understanding. "Yes, Sir." Kirk deliberately ignored the security officer who followed them out of the room.

#

"I think that covers everything." Kirk heard Nogura say as he and Kang came back in the room.

"Glad you made it back," Cartwright said with a curt nod.

"How is Commodore Ramsey doing?" Nogura interrupted before Kirk or Kang could respond to the sarcasm in Cartwright's voice.

"Doctor McCoy is unsure at this time. He'll let us know," Kirk said as he sat down.

"We have the beginnings of a plan. Take a look at it and add any comments you may have," Nogura said.

"It is not wise for you to be committing your entire force in this manner," Kang said, after a few minutes. "D'Ras held K'Lyssia for some time before Kirk and I rescued her. He would have interrogated her quite thoroughly regarding her knowledge of Starfleet defense strategies. There were probably changes made."

"All things considered," Cartwright said, glaring at Kang. "I would bet there have been. However, Ramsey is in no condition to tell us anything. This information is all we have to go on. And, even by your own report, this information is now suspect."

"You _Qovpatlh_! It is your fault Lady K'Lyssia is no longer able to be here," Kang said, reaching for his _d'k tahg_.

Kirk put a hand on Kang's arm to prevent him from attacking Cartwright. "He's not worthy of the effort," he whispered. "There is a more important goal here."

Kang nodded slightly, and Kirk felt the tight muscles under his hand relax.

"Yes," Kang finally said. "This is all the information we have, and we have no way to guess what, if anything, D'Ras did learn. K'Lyssia is a strong willed individual. She would have fought D'Ras' attempts to interrogate her by lying to him. Klingon warriors are taught that the best way to prevent breaking under torture is to lie often and to lie creatively. Do not forget, Commodore Ramsey was trained as a Klingon warrior before she ever came to the Federation."

Kirk saw Kang smile at the look of hatred that crossed Cartwright's face. He glanced at Nogura and saw the Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet frown as he watched Cartwright and Kang.

"I have to agree with Commander Kang, Sir," Kirk said. "As Admiral Cartwright pointed out, Commodore Ramsey did have access to our defense plans. We do know D'Ras questioned her rather intensely about those plans. During the time she was drifting in and out of consciousness, Commodore Ramsey listed the current strength of Starfleet forces. It is unknown whether she relayed this information to D'Ras or not. She also muttered something about the Meikos Minor system."

"What do we have on Meikos Minor?" Nogura asked.

"The tape indicated two battle cruisers were to be assigned to that sector," Admiral Honeycutt replied. "Can you recall anything else, Jim."

"It was very disoriented and garbled, Mike. But, I believe the indication was that one of those ships was to be reassigned to the Thelvan system."

"We can adjust for that, by diverting several of the fighters assigned to support the Excalibur there to the Thelvan system. I suggest we leave the Excalibur in the Meikos Minor system in case we are still dealing with two battle cruisers."

"Agreed." Nogura looked back at Kirk. "Anything else to add?"

"As I recall, Commodore Ramsey developed most of the current strategy for the defense of the areas along the Neutral Zone. We can't afford to commit all of our forces in a standard strategy," Kirk said. "We could also look at using Ramsey's sensor ghost to confuse the Klingon forces."

"Actually, we can't," Admiral Honeycutt said. "The sensor ghost has never been incorporated into ship design. As Ramsey pointed out in her debrief, after the design was tested in her Kobyashi Maru scenario, the ship using the device, must also act like what it pretending to be. In other tests, we found there were too many details being forgotten or overlooked and the project was shelved."

Admiral Nogura studied the plans for several minutes. "You have made a valid point. We will deploy the fleet as outlined here, with the exception of the Dreadnought class ships. Those will be stationed in a picket line behind the rest of the fleet. I want them in position to respond to any calls for assistance made by our other ships. If that's everything, let's get to work and get the orders out. I hope once they realize they've lost the element of surprise, the Klingon forces will withdraw quietly."

"One other thing, Admiral," Kang said. "Kor put out several calls to those still loyal to Lady K'Lyssia. While I do not know the actual strength or deployment numbers, you will receive support from them."

"Thank you for the information. Please work with Admiral Honeycutt to identify those ships that may respond. We will need to be able to track them as well as D'Ras' forces."

"Of course," Kang said.

"That seems to be it," Nogura said, looking around the room. The rest of the staff officers nodded their agreement and began picking up record tapes and files. "Let's get to work."

Everyone rose as Admiral Nogura stood.


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

(Federation)

.

.

Kirk paced in front of his desk. He hated waiting for anything, and he really hated being left out of the action. Most of the fleet had left that morning for their assigned sectors and he was still on Earth. A situation he was trying to change. He glanced at Kang who was sitting at the desk calmly. He didn't understand how a Klingon, born and trained to be a warrior wasn't at least as upset as he was at not being included on any of the deployed ships.

The doors to the office opened and Riley entered. "Admiral, Commander," he said. "Admiral Nogura would like to see you both in his office right away."

"Let him know we're on our way," Kirk said as he left the room.

#

"Jim," Nogura said as they entered the large office. "I've received your request to use the Enterprise as part of the deployment. Unfortunately, she's in no condition to launch at this time."

"What about another ship?" Kirk asked.

"I would prefer to keep you here."

"Admiral!" Kirk slammed his hands on the desk. "My experience is needed there - not stuck behind a desk here."

Nogura glanced at his desk then up at Kirk's face, a disapproving frown on his lips. "It would appear that both Admiral Cartwright and Admiral Honeycutt agree with you. They have both recommended you be assigned to one of the Dreadnoughts. It goes against my better judgment, but I'm going to place you on board the Challenger."

Kirk nodded. "Thank you, Sir," he said. "And, what about Commander Kang?"

"What about him?" Nogura raised an eyebrow and looked from Kirk to Kang.

"I would like to have him come with me. There is the chance Klingon forces will be arriving to support our ships. We need to be able to tell who is who. To do that I'll need Commander Kang along."

"So you're requesting I allow a Klingon Commander access to our newest starship and the technology on board her?"

"I give you my word, I will not spy on your secrets," Kang said. "I too, believe I should accompany Admiral Kirk –- for the reasons he has stated. If the Federation should fire on one of the ships there to fight D'Ras, all of them might leave. Worse, they might decide to join forces with D'Ras until this battle is over. Many will be there only because they supported K'Lyssia. They have no love of the Federation. Either one of those situations would not be in your best interest."

"Jim, you're responsible for his actions," Nogura said. "Both of you get your gear together and report immediately to the Challenger."

"Yes, Sir," Kirk said, saluting.

"_Qapla'_," Kang said, offering Nogura the Klingon salute.

#

"Early reports are looking good, Admiral. The Lexington reported a brief contact with a Klingon cruiser as she dropped out of warp. The Klingons immediately reversed course back through the Neutral Zone. Similar reports have come in from the Eagle and the Endeavor," Challenger's tactical officer reported.

Kirk studied the large map of the Neutral Zone and noted the three sectors those ships were in. These were areas where the information Ramsey had obtained indicated D'Ras would be sending smaller attack forces. The apparent plan had been for his strongest forces to attack along the outer sectors and then have the smaller groups attack along the middle.

"Send to the Captains of the Lexington, Eagle and Endeavor to hold their positions and watch for secondary attacks," Kirk said.

"You are thinking this was a only a reconnaissance run?" Kang asked.

"It definitely feels like one. The information we had indicated at least two ships for each of those sectors; yet contact was only made with one."

"His plans may have been changed. He has to suspect K'Lyssia was able to give us information regarding his plans. He just does not know what information that was."

"We can't play the he knows that we know game. If we do, we'll end up second-guessing every one of our own moves. We'll maintain full alert and hold our positions," Kirk said. "Lieutenant, put up the sensor tracking on the ships we've got identified."

Blue and red dots began appearing on the screen. "The blue represents the Federation ships and the red are the Klingon forces," the tactical officer said.

"Kang, any way to identify Kelli's allies?" Kirk asked.

"I will need access to the sensor information."

"Lieutenant," Kirk glanced at the tactical officer who then waved Kang over to his console.

The Klingon and the Lieutenant spent several minutes in whispered conversation as they studied the information on the board. When they finished, a thin blue ring surrounded several of the red dots on the screen.

"Admiral, we have a report coming in from the Potemkin. Three Klingon cruisers have entered her sector. She's requesting assistance."

Kirk watched as the location of the ships came up on the screen. "Dispatch the Pennsylvania, then see if a couple of the fighters attached to the Republic can assist as well."

The larger map changed to show the sector assigned to the Potemkin and the one assigned to the Republic. The two areas were adjacent to each other. As he watched, three of the smaller blue dots in the Republic's sector moved to join with the Potemkin. The remaining fighters shifted their positions to compensate. There was still one Klingon ship unaccounted for between these two sectors, according to the original plans.

Kirk frowned; D'Ras was adapting his plans. As they suspected, he had assumed Ramsey was able to warn the Federation and the brief reconnaissance pass by the three ships earlier would have confirmed that assumption. Sensor readings by the Klingons would be showing D'Ras where the Federation forces were waiting; just as the data they were looking at here was showing them where the Klingons were.

"Move the Carolina into a close support position for the Republic," Kirk said. "Put the full screen back up."

Kirk studied the screen for several minutes. "Kang, what was the name of the system Kelli mentioned?"

"Meikos Minor. You have the Excalibur assigned there along with the Aerfen. The rest of the ships were re-deployed to the Thelvan system," Kang said.

"Lieutenant, display the Meikos Minor system."

"Yes, Sir." The screen flickered and the large map changed into a detailed view of the Meikos Minor system. Four blue dots moved in the system.

"Looks like Hunter decided to keep two extra fighters with her," Kirk said. "Any indication of Klingon activity in that sector?"

"We're picking up several distorted signals. They're attempting to confuse sensor scans. Trying to clear it up."

"Kang, tell me what you think about the movements of those two extra ships?" Kirk asked.

"They look like they're moving in an attack pattern."

"Lieutenant, I want those ships identified immediately!" Kirk said.

"Admiral, reports coming in from the sectors bordering Meikos Minor. The Exeter is facing two more Klingon Cruisers than originally anticipated and the Yorktown reports three more than anticipated. They're both taking heavy fire."

"Dispatch the Arnhem, Leipzig and Athena to those sectors."

"That leaves only three dreadnoughts on the picket line," the lieutenant said.

"Correction, that leaves two. Have the bridge lay in a course for the Meikos Minor system."

"Admiral, transmission coming in from the Aerfen."

"On speakers."

"This is Captain Hunter of the Aerfen. The Excalibur and I are under heavy fire from four Klingon Cruisers. Requesting immediate assistance." A burst of static covered anything else Hunter said then the channel went dead.

"Transmission jammed."

"Are there any other ships in position to assist?" Kirk asked.

"No, Sir. Reports coming in from all sectors. Klingon incursions all along the border. No other requests for assistance coming in at this time."

"Kang, can you contact Kor or one of the other ships?" Kirk asked.

Kang looked at the screen. "The Honored Warrior and the Deathrite are the closest." He touched several controls on the tactical console. "Can you secure this channel?" he asked.

The tactical officer nodded. "You have a secure channel, Commander."

"Krithargus, this is Kang. You are to report to the Meikos Minor system and assist the Federation ships there. Contact Kon'don and have the Deathrite respond also."

"Understood." The channel closed with an audible click.

"Admiral, we will be arriving in the Meikos Minor sector in approximately twenty minutes."

"Thank you." Kirk continued to watch the blue and red dots on the screen as they moved around each other in an intricate and deadly dance.

#

"Admiral, the Destroyer Ahriman is reporting a brief contact with a Romulan ship."

"Damn!" Kirk muttered. "Pass that information along to the rest of the ships along the Romulan Neutral Zone."

"Yes, Sir."

Kang walked over to Kirk, a deep scowl on his face. "We do not need the Romulans adding to our problems," he said.

"We have positioned our Saladin Class Destroyers and about half of our Hermes Class Scouts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. Admiral Honeycutt anticipated the potential for problems from the Romulans. However, we believe the risk to be minimal," Kirk said.

"You Terrans continue to surprise me, Kirk," Kang said with a slight bow.

"Good," the tactical officer said.

"Lieutenant, are we close enough to see what's going on?" Kirk asked, ignoring the sarcasm he had heard in the lieutenant's voice.

"Getting it now, Sir. I'll put it on a split screen. The Excalibur will be on the right and the Aerfen will be on the left."

The view screen flickered and two different images appeared. The Aerfen was facing one Klingon Battle Cruiser, her hull streaked with phaser burns.

The battle cruiser was listing to port, where a plasma leak was visible.

As Kirk watched another Klingon ship appeared on the screen.

"The Raq'tor," Kang said. "She's attached to the Honored Warrior."

They watched as the small Klingon fighter swooped past the battle cruiser. The Raq'tor's phasers loosed a devastating barrage of fire. The Aerfen fired a full spread of photon torpedoes. The simultaneous attacks rocked the battle cruiser, her shields glowing as they tried to protect the damaged vessel.

"I've got an identification on the battle cruiser. It's the Firestorm," Kang said.

"That's D'Ras' ship, isn't it?" Kirk asked.

"It is, but I doubt he is on board at this time," Kang said.

"That would be much to ask for, wouldn't it?" Kirk looked at Kang and grinned.

The combined fire from the Aerfen and the Raq'tor was enough to breach the Klingon battle cruisers shields and the Firestorm erupted with a fury to match that for which she was named.

"Get me a channel to the Aerfen," Kirk snapped.

"Channel open."

"Hunter, what's your current status?"

"We're hurting, Jim. I've lost my navigator and tactical officer as well as several of my engineering and weapons crews. We're down to impulse power only. That last round depleted the last of my torpedoes and brought phasers down to approximately twenty percent power."

"Acknowledged. I'm going to ask the Raq'tor to escort you back to rendezvous with the Legionnaire. Fair winds."

"Acknowledged. Aerfen out."

"Admiral, I have contacted Lieutenant HoS, he has agreed to the escort," Kang said.

"Good. Now, let's see about getting to the Excalibur."


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

(Federation)

.

.

"Admiral, we're receiving a hail from the Excalibur."

"Challenger, this is the Excalibur. Immediate assistance is required. We are under attack from three Klingon Battle Cruisers and sensors are detecting two more Klingon vessels en route." A loud explosion interrupted the transmission.

"Excalibur, this is the Challenger. We are en route your location. What's your current status?" Kirk asked.

"Our shields are down to fifteen percent. Our maneuvering thrusters and impulse power are gone. We have only a handful of torpedoes left and phaser power is depleted. We are currently using Meikos Four as a shield between us and the Klingons."

"What about casualties?" Kirk asked.

"At least fifty dead including Captain Gerhart. Another eighty wounded."

"Understood. Tactical on those Klingon ships!"

"Admiral. The three ships currently facing Excalibur have been damaged and seem to be holding back waiting for the incoming vessels. All three are running on thrusters only and their energy signatures are weakening. Shield readings are fluctuating, but none are above forty percent."

"What about those incoming vessels? Any identification?"

"I have them now, Kirk," Kang said. "One of them is the Honored Warrior. The other is the Deathrite. Kirk, they're approaching from the far side of the planet and will pass the Excalibur. Do you want the Honored Warrior to dispatch some of her fighters to escort her?" Kang asked.

Kirk glanced at the screen where the image of the large Klingon ship was approaching the far side of Meikos Four. The carrier ship was easily half again the size of the Dreadnought class ship he was currently on. Designed to be a carrier ship for fighters like the Raq'tor, she still bristled with tremendous firepower herself. At least that was what the sensors were showing. "Yes," he said. "Open a channel to the Excalibur."

"Channel open."

"Commander Dacien," Kirk said. "The two Klingon ships approaching are not to be fired on. I repeat; they are not to be fired on. They are currently on our side."

"Acknowledged."

"Also, I want you to set a course back to rendezvous with the Legionnaire. Two fighters from the Honored Warrior will escort you."

"With all due respect, Admiral, I must protest. We still have a score to settle with those Klingon ships."

"Commander, the Excalibur is in no condition to continue. Challenger will settle that score for you. Now, get your crew out of there." Kirk smiled to himself. Commander Dacien's emotions were running high and he wasn't thinking clearly. Plus, no one ever truly wanted to run away from a fight. He remembered feeling like that a few times himself.

"Aye, Sir." The channel closed with an audible click.

Kirk looked at the screen as two fighters left the Honored Warrior and flanked the Excalibur.

"Admiral, readings are changing. Two of the three Klingon ships are no longer showing the amount of damage we were originally reading. They're moving to intercept the Excalibur."

"Check your sensors! I want to know what happened."

"Sensors are working properly."

"A sensor ghost," Kang said.

"Sensor ghost?" Kirk spun around to face the Klingon.

"It is designed to transmit false sensor readings. Used effectively it can disguise a ship as something other than what she is. It is not used much within the Empire. To hide one's true nature when fighting is considered a dishonorable act."

"I know exactly what it does, Kang. Kelli Ramsey developed it for Starfleet while she was still at the Academy. Just when did she give it to the High Command?" Kirk stared at Kang, his fists tightening. He had defended Ramsey's loyalty to the Federation many times over the last few months. Despite his personal feelings about Klingons in general, he had stood up for her and refused to believe she would pass technology or information to the High Command. Now, it appeared, Kang was admitting she had done just that.

Everyone in the Tactical Operations Center turned to stare at Kirk and Kang.

"She didn't," Kang said. The Klingon glanced down at Kirk's balled fists then back up, his face remained calm, despite the anger in his eyes. "The Empire has had this device for over twenty-five of your Earth years. I cannot believe you, of all people, would accuse her of passing information to the Empire. You have seen what she went through in order to bring information to the Federation. She was willing to be branded a traitor to the Empire. She risked her life and her sanity to prevent D'Ras' scheme from succeeding. She has shown you her first loyalty is to the Federation and you dishonor her trust in you with your suspicions."

"I don't believe Kelli Ramsey's or Lady K'Lyssia's first loyalty is to the Federation," Kirk said, relaxing only slightly. "Her loyalty is to both the Empire and the Federation. Moreover, she is probably the only person in the universe who can hold to both with no conflict. She truly believes the Empire and the Federation can co-exist peacefully." Kirk caught and held Kang's attention with an intense gaze.

"I meant no disrespect to K'Lyssia earlier. However, it has been suggested, by members of Starfleet Command, that she may have passed information to the Empire. Her sensor ghost was specifically mentioned as potentially having been compromised."

Kang stared at him for a moment, then nodded slightly. "The Vulcans have a saying: There is no offense, where none was intended. Let us speak no more on it."

Kirk grabbed for the console as the Challenge rocked violently. "Report!"

"Full spread of photon torpedoes and phasers from both of the Klingon vessels. The Captain has ordered evasive maneuvers. The Honored Warrior is closing to assist and the Deathrite is closing with the third ship." The Lieutenant stared at the screen. "For such a large vessel, the Honored Warrior is quick," he said softly.

Kirk nodded his agreement and noted the sensor sweeps that continually scanned the larger vessel. The Challenger rocked again and Kirk focused on the screen, once again wishing he were on the bridge directing the ship's movements. The viewscreen flickered then went blank.

"Direct hit on the sensor grid, image will be back in a moment," the tactical officer reported. As he finished speaking, the viewscreen came back to life.

The larger Federation ship was facing two Klingon ships. The smaller ships darted around the Dreadnought with ease as they continued to attack. The Challenger's shields glowed with a golden hue as they dissipated the energy from the Klingon phasers.

Kirk felt the ship rock slightly as the Challenger unleashed the power of her phasers. The glowing arc of energy struck one of the Klingon ships and her shields flared bright crimson. Another burst of energy from the Challenger's phasers and again the Klingon's shields flared crimson.

"Direct hit on her weapon's systems, Admiral," the tactical officer announced.

The Honored Warrior swooped in close to the ship the Challenger had just damaged and fired a spread of photon torpedoes. The injured ship rocked as the torpedoes penetrated her shields.

"She appears to be dead in the water, Admiral," the tactical officer reported. "Power signature is falling and I'm picking up very few life signs."

"My compliments to Captain Krithargus," Kirk said. "Keep a close eye on that ship. I don't want to be surprised by another sensor trick."

"Aye, Sir." The tactical officer turned back to his board. "Admiral, Captain Krithargus sends his compliments also, along with the shield frequency for the remaining Klingon ships. The two damaged Klingon ships have set a course back to the Empire and are leaving the area. Captain Kon'don of the Deathrite wants to know if we wish them to pursue."

Kirk looked at Kang. His Starfleet training told him to let the Klingon ships go, but he knew this was a matter better handled by the Klingons. Kang nodded. "They have brought dishonor on themselves and the Empire," he said.

"Tell him to pursue and take appropriate action," Kirk said. He ignored the stares from the others in the room.

"Aye."

The images on the screen showed the Honored Warrior closing with the remaining Klingon ship. Streaks from both the Honored Warrior and the Challenger showed the torpedo spreads both ships fired within seconds of each other. The Klingon vessel rocked as the torpedoes struck her, then she exploded in an expanding cloud of debris.

"Reports from the other sectors, Admiral. The Klingons are withdrawing."

"Thank you. Send our thanks to Krithargus and request he pass it along to all who assisted. Have Captain Tivi set a course back to Earth. I'll be in my quarters. Send me a copy of the casualty reports as soon as they come in."

"Aye, Sir."

Kirk turned and left the room.


	26. Chapter 26

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**_

_**(FEDERATION)**_

.

.

Kirk had returned to Earth only a short time ago. When he arrived, orders for him to report to Admiral Nogura's office had been waiting. He had taken time to stop by Starfleet Medical to check on Ramsey. The security officers outside her room had politely refused him entry then directed him to Admiral Nogura.

Kirk walked through the corridors of Starfleet Headquarters and thought back on the events of the past several days. The battle with the Klingons had gone pretty much as expected. There had been a couple of brief skirmishes between the two forces then the Klingons had returned to the Empire. The worst of these had been the battle in the Meikos Minor system, which the Challenger had participated in. A surprisingly low number of lives had been lost. Primarily those lost at Meikos Minor. _It could have been much worse, _he thought. _We have Kelli and Kang to thank that it wasn't._

"Good morning, James," Nogura said, as he entered the Admiral's office.

"Good morning, Sir," Kirk said.

Nogura shifted through a stack of reports as he nodded to one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I've been reading through the reports from the Neutral Zone. It appears everything went well. Skirmishes were minimal as were casualties; most of those confined to one ship - the Excalibur. With the loss of her captain, I need someone to fill the position. Any suggestions?"

"Commodore Ramsey," Kirk said.

"My thought also, but there's a problem." Nogura picked up one of the reports on his desk and handed it to Kirk.

"You didn't actually sign this order, Sir?" Kirk asked, looking up.

"I didn't have a choice. Admiral Cartwright requested the filing of formal charges against Commodore Ramsey for treason and desertion. Until we get this settled, she's under arrest and confined to the security ward of Starfleet Medical," Nogura said.

"Does she know?"

"Not yet. Her doctors didn't think it would be a good idea at this time. Her condition is improving, but she's not out of the woods yet as Doctor McCoy put it. I'm hoping we can get this matter cleared up before Medical releases her. If we do, there's no reason for her to find out."

"If you've signed the arrest order and Cartwright has filed formal charges how are you going to clear it up before then? This requires a full court-martial." Kirk flung the arrest order back on Nogura's desk. "Damn it! Kelli Ramsey was instrumental in preventing a war with the Klingon Empire and this is the thanks we give her."

"Calm down, Jim. Right now, there is nothing official. Cartwright's request came through me and I convinced him to put it on hold until a preliminary investigation could be conducted. This is the only copy of the arrest order. Ramsey's doctors are aware of the situation and will notify me if her condition improves to the point I have to actually issue a confinement order.

"At this point there are only a few people who know the complete details of this: Cartwright, you, myself, and the Federation President."

"The Federation President?" Kirk asked. "Sir, this is a matter internal to Starfleet, why is the President involved?"

"Ramsey is still the former head of the Klingon Empire. Try to imagine the potential political ramifications of trying to court-martial the Leader of the Klingon High Council. Ramsey's treaty with the Federation still has supporters in the Empire, if we're not careful we'll lose that support."

Nogura glanced down at his desk and picked up several of the reports, then stood up. "I'm scheduled to meet with the President and Admiral Cartwright in fifteen minutes to discuss this matter. Care to join me?"

"I would." Kirk stood and followed the Commander in Chief of Starfleet out of the office.

#

"Afternoon, gentlemen," the Federation President said as Kirk and Nogura entered the office. Other than the flag of the Federation sitting to the right behind his desk, there was nothing in the room that spoke to this being the office of the President of the United Federation of Planets.

Kirk had visited Washington D.C. many years ago and had taken the tour of the White House. Once the home and offices for the President of the United States, it was now a carefully restored and preserved memorial to a previous era. No one walking into the Oval Office could have doubted they were in the office of a person once considered to one of the most powerful on Earth. Very different from the office they were standing in now.

The current President was from Earth and had recently been elected. There were times when he still seemed to be a little unsure of himself, but he had a reputation for listening to those with more experience; something Kirk was counting on.

"Mister President." Nogura nodded respectfully. "Allow me to present Admiral James T. Kirk. He has been deeply involved in the events we are here to discuss today."

"Admiral Kirk, I must say your reputation precedes you. It is a definite honor to finally meet you, Sir." The President stood and extended his hand.

"Thank you, Mister President," Kirk said, clasping the President's hand.

"I believe you gentlemen already know Admiral Cartwright," the President said, motioning to the dark skinned admiral standing to the side. "If everyone will have a seat, we'll get started."

Kirk and Nogura sat in the chairs in front of the desk. Cartwright moved to sit in a chair off to the side.

"Normally, Heihachiro, I would tell you this was strictly a fleet matter and expect you to deal with it. But, I understand there may be a few political ramifications involved," the President said.

"That's putting it mildly," Nogura said. "Commodore Kelli Ramsey and Lady K'Lyssia are the same person."

The Federation President leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms on his chest. "For Starfleet to court-martial the Leader of the Klingon High Council would be tantamount to a declaration of war," he paused for a moment. "Perhaps, bringing her before a Federation court would be justified. Do you think the Klingon High Council could be convinced to send a representative?"

"Actually, Mister President, I was hoping we cold avoid any such public hearing and settle this matter right now," Nogura said.

"May I ask why?" His brow furrowed a bit as he studied Admiral Nogura. His gray eyes moved to glance at Kirk then Cartwright, before his attention returned to Starfleet's Commander-in-Chief.

"I don't believe it's necessary to pursue formal charges against Commodore Ramsey," Nogura said. "And, the sooner we can get this matter cleared up, the sooner I can reinstate her to duty. If she wishes to return to Starfleet that is."

"What?" Cartwright shouted, jumping out of his chair. "Sir, that...that woman is a Klingon agent. It can't be just a coincidence that as soon as she deserts her post and returns to the Empire, they begin making plans for an invasion. An invasion made easier by the terms of the treaty we agreed to. A treaty authored by that traitor!"

"With all due respect," Kirk said, standing. He looked at the President, who nodded. "There is no evidence Commodore Ramsey has ever passed any kind of information to the Klingons while she was in Starfleet. In fact, I have evidence she was never a spy for the Empire."

"Present your evidence," the President said.

"A little over three months ago, Admiral Cartwright approached me for a special assignment involving Commodore Ramsey, who had been given temporary command of the Enterprise. He wanted me to investigate allegations she was a Klingon agent. During the course of my investigation, I was unable to turn up any evidence she was working for the Empire. However, due to the nature of the threat posed if she was a Klingon agent, I refused to drop the investigation. After a complete psychological evaluation of the Commodore, Doctor McCoy stated he did not believe she was a Klingon agent."

"I'm sorry Admiral, but a lack of evidence is not evidence she was never a Klingon agent," the President said.

"Sir, it must also be noted that Ramsey spent eight months on Vulcan. She could have learned how to shield herself against routine psych evals," Cartwright said.

"Admiral Cartwright makes a valid point. Do you have anything else?"

"Yes, Sir. As I stated, I did not feel I could drop my investigation, simply because of the lack of evidence. I was able to convince Ambassador Sarek to perform a mindmeld while I questioned Commodore Ramsey about her loyalties. The Ambassador was satisfied her answers were truthful. Based of that evidence, Mister President, I submit that Commodore Ramsey was not working as an agent for the Klingon Empire," Kirk said.

The President nodded, then reached over and pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Janet, can you contact Ambassador Sarek for me, please?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir. Do you want me to patch him through immediately?" a female voice asked.

"Yes."

"Standby."

"While we wait for my secretary to contact Ambassador Sarek, Admiral Cartwright do you have anything to add to what Admiral Kirk had just told us?" the President asked.

"No, Sir." Cartwright glared at Kirk for a second.

Kirk met the anger he saw in Cartwright's eyes with a polite nod. He didn't understand why Cartwright would be getting angry with him. He had been very careful to not add anything that would reflect directly on Admiral Cartwright's prejudice against Klingons, or his personal vendetta against Commodore Ramsey. There were many in Starfleet who hated Klingons in general. And many who subscribed to the same theory as Cartwright; that the only good Klingon was a dead Klingon. Problems between the Federation and the Empire hadn't done anything to convince them otherwise. But, he still didn't understand why Cartwright chose to target Ramsey the way he had. Cartwright had tried to convince Kirk, he would get him the Enterprise back if Kirk proved Ramsey was a Klingon agent. An offer designed, or so it seemed, to convince Kirk to do everything he could to prove the accusation –- whether it was true or not.

"Sir," the President's secretary said. "Ambassador Sarek is on the comm as you requested."

"Ambassador Sarek," the President said.

"You requested to speak with me, Mister President?" Kirk heard Sarek's voice over the intercom.

"I did. Ambassador, Admiral Nogura has asked me to review a charge that Commodore Ramsey, also known as Lady K'Lyssia, was acting as a Klingon agent while in Starfleet. Admiral Kirk has informed me that during the course of his investigation, three months ago, you performed a mindmeld with the Commodore. He further stated that as a result of this mindmeld he was convinced she was not a Klingon agent. Did you perform the mindmeld and do you concur with his assessment?"

There was a long pause before the Vulcan Ambassador answered. "Yes, to both questions," he finally said.

"I thank you for your time," the President said.

"We are here to serve." The intercom closed with an audible click.

"As Ambassador Sarek has substantiated Admiral Kirk's statement, I believe I can recommend the charge of treason not be pursued any further," the President said.

"And, what about the charge of desertion under fire?" Admiral Cartwright asked. "According to the logs of the USS Enterprise, Commodore Ramsey voluntarily offered to accompany Commander Kang to Kronos. And, the fact Ambassador Sarek agrees with Admiral Kirk, doesn't negate her actions after she left the Federation. She did author a treaty that allowed the Klingons to take advantage of the only loophole in the Organian Peace Treaty. And, after she became the Leader of the Klingon High Council, Klingon ships began using something similar to the sensor ghost she developed while at the Academy."

"According to Commander Kang, the Klingons have had the sensor ghost technology for approximately twenty-five years." Kirk dropped a records tape on the desk. "That contains the records from Clan Q'ong on the development of that technology."

Admiral Cartwright stood up, walked over to the desk, and picked up the tape. "Records can be altered or faked." He placed the tape back on the desk. "Mister President, Kelli Ramsey is a half-Klingon, a fact she denied for years. She also has denied having any memories of her life in the Empire, yet she willingly went with Kang and took her place as Leader of the Klingon High Council."

The Federation President raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention back to Nogura and Kirk. "Your response?"

"Until she went to Vulcan, Kelli Ramsey had no memory of her family or her life in the Empire," Kirk said. "After she left Vulcan she did deliberately hide the fact she had recovered her memory from Starfleet. She did this, because of the prejudice against Klingons that many in Starfleet have." He looked directly at Cartwright and saw the smoldering fury on the Admiral's face. Kirk returned his attention to the President. "She felt it was necessary to do this in order to prevent being dismissed from Starfleet. After all, would it be reasonable to expect Starfleet to allow a Klingon to remain as Captain of the Excalibur?"

"Probably not. Continue."

"You have Ambassador Sarek's statement regarding the mindmeld. She was not a Klingon agent at anytime prior to that meld. And, I don't believe sacrificing herself to save her ship and crew is truly voluntarily," Kirk said.

The Federation President leaned forward slightly and Kirk knew he had his complete attention now. "Sir, I was on the Enterprise at the time. I know what happened. Ambassador Kaphil tried to kill Commodore Ramsey twice. Then Commander Kang attacked the Enterprise, demanding the Commodore surrender the ship to him or he would destroy it. Our weapons and shields were disabled. Kelli contacted Kang and offered to transport over to his ship if he would let the Enterprise go. He agreed. At the time, Kelli believed Kang was allied with Kaphil and fully expected to be killed.

"One other thing; Commodore Ramsey had written a letter resigning her commission, which her Yeoman was supposed to have transmitted. Perhaps, in everything that happened that letter was never transmitted, but she did not desert."

"Thank you. Admiral Nogura, you haven't said anything. Do you have anything to add?" the President asked.

"One thing. If you check Commodore Ramsey's Academy record, you'll this is not the first time she has deserted her post in this manner. You're familiar with the Kobyashi Maru scenario that all command school cadets must take?" Nogura paused.

The Federation President nodded and the Admiral continued. "During her second time taking the test, Ramsey did the same thing to save her ship and crew as she did on the Enterprise. She traded herself to secure their safety."

"Very well. Admiral Cartwright, do you have anything else to add?"

"No, Sir. I believe her record speaks for itself."

"I have seen her record and I agree there are a number of questionable incidents in it, however we cannot presume a person guilty without solid evidence and there is no evidence to support your request for formal charges. That being said, I'll add that we still need to be cautious. Heihachiro what assignment did you have in mind for the Commodore when she recovers?"

"Command of the Excalibur."

"Command of a starship. A good choice. One that is in keeping with her talents, I think. However, I want that ship on the other side of Federation space from the Klingon Empire until things settle down. If she does have divided loyalties, we don't need to make it easy for her to contact the Empire."

"Perhaps an extended border survey?" Kirk suggested.

Nogura smiled and nodded. "Most of our attention of late has been concentrated on the border areas near the Romulan and Klingon Empires. I think a little exploration in another direction could be justified."

"I believe that settles this matter, gentlemen. I trust you will do whatever is necessary to keep everything under wraps," the President said. He picked up the records tape and handed it to Nogura. "You might want to make sure this is turned over to Intelligence."

"Yes, Sir." Nogura stood and saluted the President. With a nod he took the tape then left the room followed by Kirk and Cartwright.

As the door behind them closed, Admiral Cartwright turned to go the opposite direction from Kirk and Nogura. Kirk watched the Admiral leave and frowned. There had to be more to the hatred Cartwright held for Ramsey than just her Klingon heritage. He sincerely doubted the single confrontation they had on the Excalibur was the full explanation. This was something he needed to check into.

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	27. Chapter 27

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**_

_**(FEDERATION)**_

**_._**

.

"Riley, I don't want to be disturbed, unless it's an emergency," Kirk said as he walked past his attaché into his office.

He didn't wait for the Commander's reply as he locked the doors to his office. "Computer."

"Working."

Kirk stood at his window, looking out over the sparkling waters of the San Francisco Bay. "Access records of Admiral Cartwright. Specifically, details of any contact by him or his immediate family with Klingons. Or interactions with Commodore Ramsey."

"Standby."

After several minutes, the computer spoke again. "Peter Cartwright was on the board that reviewed Kelli Ramsey's application to the Academy. He also sat on her interview board."

"Did he approve or disapprove of her admission?" Kirk asked.

"Approved. He wrote in his recommendation: Kelli Ramsey appears to be the type of person who will strive to hold to the high standards demanded by Starfleet and will be an asset to the organization."

Kirk began pacing in front of his desk. "Okay, so he obviously didn't have a problem with Kelli at that point. Computer, continue with Cartwright's interactions with Ramsey."

"He monitored her first Kobyashi Maru test, and wrote the evaluation questioning her destruction of the passenger vessel. He noted her knowledge of Klingon tactics and language seemed to be more advance than other students in her command classes."

Kirk stopped and stared at the computer sitting on his desk. "Computer, when did Kelli Ramsey take her first Kobyashi Maru test?"

"During her last year at the academy. Cadet Ramsey remained two extra years to complete the Command Track after first completing the Engineering Track."

"That means she would be a bit more advanced in her knowledge since she had two years more training than the rest of her command class. Computer, did Ramsey continue with her study of the Klingon language all six years at the Academy?"

"Affirmative. She also took all of the classes the Academy offered on the Klingon Empire."

"And, it was this that influenced her assignment to the Excalibur," Kirk said.

"That information is not in the record," the computer said.

"Which instructors recommended Ramsey for assignment to the Excalibur?"

"Commodore Cartwright, Captain April, Commodore Nogura, Lieutenant Commander Scott, Lieutenant Command Berien and Lieutenant Lanford."

"Interesting." Kirk glanced up at the Klingon weapons on the wall. "So, despite concerns with her knowledge of the Empire, he still recommended her for assignment to a ship on the Klingon border."

"That information is not in the record."

Kirk turned back toward the window. _This could take forever,_ he thought. _Cartwright obviously didn't hold any animosity for Ramsey during the early part of her career. In fact, Cartwright came to the Excalibur to present her with the Legion of Merit. I know there were problems between them after that, so let's start there._

"Computer, details on Ramsey's Legion of Merit Award."

"Legion of Merit awarded to Captain Kelli Ramsey on Stardate 4065.84. Commodore Peter Cartwright made the award recommendation after Excalibur's rescue of the colony ship Argosy. Two Klingon vessels near the Klingon border attacked the Argosy. The Excalibur responded to the distress call and put herself between the disabled colony ship and the Klingon vessels. Excalibur sustained heavy damage and several casualties, but bought time for the colony ship to escape. One Klingon vessel was destroyed and the other retreated back across the border."

"Computer display passenger manifest of the Argosy." Kirk sat down at his desk and studied the scrolling names. "Hold," he said. There was something familiar about the young woman's face now on the screen. "Biographical information on Lauren Brooks. Is there any relationship to Admiral Cartwright?"

"Affirmative. Lauren Brooks was Peter Cartwright's sister."

Kirk looked at the screen as the biographical information scrolled past. Lauren Brooks was killed by a Klingon attack on the colony world of Deghroj on the Klingon border. The planet, named by the Klingons, had been settled by colonists from the Federation and the Empire. Lauren Brooks and her husband Tobias had been the leaders of the Federation colony on Deghroj. They had been the ones to approach the Empire with the idea of a joint colony. Surprisingly, K'Lyion had agreed.

Kirk looked at the data again. Ramsey had been in command of the Excalibur during this time, and _Deghroj _would have been in one of her patrol sectors. Where was the Excalibur during the attack? "Computer, was a distress signal sent from the colony?"

"Affirmative."

"Which ships responded?"

"The Lexington and the Potemkin," the computer replied.

"What about the Excalibur?"

"The Excalibur was not one of the ships that responded to the colony's distress call."

"Where was she?"

"Excalibur was engaged in a rescue mission of a Klingon vessel near the planet Nimbus III."

"So not only did Ramsey disobey Cartwright's orders regarding the rescue of a Klingon freighter, she also was unable to save his sister and her family from a Klingon attack. Again, because of her involvement with rescuing a Klingon vessel," Kirk said softly.

"Query not understood. Please restate question," the computer said.

"Computer, disregard."

It was starting to make a little more sense to Kirk. Cartwright, of course, had a basic prejudice against Klingons. Most people in Starfleet did, considering the state of relations between the Federation and the Empire. Ramsey was half-Klingon, something he was sure had bothered Cartwright since the first time he had met her. However, Cartwright had managed to look beyond his basic prejudice at first and treated her as any other Starfleet officer. He could probably have even eventually ignored the incident on board the Excalibur. Maybe not in direct dealings with Ramsey, but he doubted it would have grown into the personal vendetta it was now. That the Excalibur was involved in assisting a Klingon vessel when his sister and family were being killed by another group of Klingons had to be too much for Cartwright. That Ramsey was the Captain of the Excalibur and had failed to respond to the distress call made her the focus of all his hatred for Klingons.

Kirk doubted Cartwright would ever admit he had once stated Kelli Ramsey was the type of person who would strive to hold to the high standards demanded by Starfleet and would be an asset to the organization. All he could see now was the Klingon half-breed who appeared to have too much knowledge of the Klingon language and Klingon tactics than her Academy training would account for. The insubordinate half-Klingon who countermanded his orders for the sake of a Klingon freighter. That same insubordinate half-Klingon who had struck a superior officer and gotten away with it. It was also this same Klingon half-breed who ignored a distress call from a group of Federation colonists to assist a Klingon vessel and cost him his sister and her family.

"Computer, transfer all requested data onto a computer tape."

"Transferred."

"Begin recording."

"Recording."

"Kelli, the information on this tape is something I wanted to research and I think you should review it also. Once you have, I believe you'll have a better understanding of Admiral Cartwright and his vendetta against you. I know this in no way justifies his actions, but if you take the time to understand where he's coming from, maybe you two can eventually work together as professionals without the hatred coming between you.

"Fair winds, Kitty Kelli." Kirk went on to dictate his suppositions based on the information. When he was done, he pulled the tape from the computer and set it aside. He would give it to Ramsey when she was released from Medical.

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	28. Chapter 28

**_CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT_**

**_(FEDERATION)_**

.

.

"Ta'les, you must break the link." Healer T'Sarna's soft voice broke through his concentration.

"She is still fighting me. Her healing is almost complete. Why is she still fighting me?" Ta'les asked. He leaned back against the wall, his hands clenched at his sides. While he had never been one to deny his emotions as other Vulcans did, he did not feel comfortable showing them in front of this healer.

T'Sarna was a master healer and a disciple of Kolihnar. The elder Vulcan carried herself with a dignity that rivaled that of T'Pau herself.

"Calm yourself," T'Sarna said. Her soft voice was strong, melodic and did not betray her age. "You and Ramsey are still bonded and your emotions are affecting her. You must give her more time. There is still much healing to be done. You have told me both of you relied on your bond to protect her from what D'Ras did. Every time you touch the link, the memories of what was done resurface. She is not fighting you, only the pain of those memories. It is much like an as open wound. You cannot keep picking at a cut and expect it to mend. It must be left alone and given time to heal."

"T'Sarna, it is not just when I touch the bond. Even when I am near her those memories are triggered." Ta'les glanced at his wife, then closed his eyes against the tears he felt burning in them. Even in sleep, Ramsey's face showed evidence of the pain she was fighting. Her tightly clenched fists twisted against the restraints Doctor McCoy had ordered placed on her.

"What do you recommend?" Ta'les asked, looking back at T'Sarna.

The healer glanced quickly at Ramsey then turned her attention back to Ta'les. "You will not like what I have to recommend," she said. "Separation. Time for the memories to fade and the emotional pain to begin healing, without a constant reminder."

Ta'les stared at T'Sarna for several minutes, then nodded. "I understand, but..."

"But, that doesn't make it any easier. Ta'les, I am a Mind Healer. As such, I must allow myself to feel the emotions of others. I sense your turmoil and I understand. However, you must know your continued presence will only destroy that which you seek to save."

T'Sarna's gaze was unblinking as she looked at him. "Perhaps, you should return to Vulcan. The bond is still there and when it is time for you to contact her again you will know. If you wish you can study with the healers at Sharikar. You have the gift."

"And, the intense study may divert my attention from other concerns," he said. "It is not an acceptable solution, but there is logic in it. I thank you for the offer."

"I will make the arrangements. Before you leave there is one other task I need to perform. Your awareness of the bond must be suppressed so you do not try to contact Ramsey through it until she is ready."

Ta'les closed his eyes, no longer fighting to stop the tears streaking his face, as T'Sarna placed her warm fingers on the appropriate contact points and began establishing the meld.

#

"How do you feel, Commodore?" McCoy asked as Ramsey opened her eyes.

"I...I'm not sure. Where am I?" Ramsey asked. McCoy frowned slightly at the dull, lifeless color in her normally vibrant green eyes.

"You are at Starfleet Medical. I am Healer T'Sarna, I believe you already know Doctor McCoy." Doctor T'Sarna said from where she stood at the foot of the bed.

Ramsey started to sit up, then stopped. "Doctor?" she asked, pulling on the restraints.

"I ordered them. They were necessary for a while, but, we can probably remove them now." McCoy loosened the restraints.

Ramsey sat up slowly and rubbed her wrists and hands for several minutes. "What happened?" she finally asked.

"It's a bit complicated," McCoy said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "How much do you remember?"

"It's all pretty fuzzy," Ramsey said. "I remember finding out about D'Ras' plans then trying to leave Kronos. I remember being caught by his guards at the shuttle port. After that, nothing comes clearly. It's all a jumble of blurred images and sounds." She closed her eyes.

"Kelli," McCoy said, placing his hands over her. "You've been through hell and back these past few months. It's going to take time for everything to come back to you."

Ramsey opened her eyes and smiled weakly.

"You have been held in a healing trance since you returned to Earth. During that time Doctor McCoy and I have worked to heal your mind and body," T'Sarna said. "I must warn you, you will be quite weak for a while yet and you will suffer from nightmares as your mind continues to heal and your memories return. You have suffered severe trauma to your psyche and it will be some time before you are completely back to normal. The nightmares and pain of remembering should decrease over time."

Ramsey only nodded and McCoy felt his worry beginning again. She wasn't reacting. Controlling her anger was something Kelli Ramsey had learned to do over many years, but this complete lack of reaction wasn't the same thing and it could be dangerous.

"Where is Ta'les?" Ramsey asked after several minutes. "I can sense the bond, but it's like there's a wall blocking me from him."

"Because of the way you and Ta'les relied on the bond to protect you, it has been damaged. The bond is still there, deeply buried. It has become the focus for your most painful memories. Ta'les presence was aggravating this and I recommended a time of separation. As your mind continues to heal, the bond will also; in time it will be fully reestablished." T'Sarna said.

McCoy watched Ramsey closely. _Hearing this should provoke some kind of reaction,_ he thought. _At least, I hope it does._

Ramsey only turned her head and stared at the wall.

McCoy stood and moved to stand next to Doctor T'Sarna. "I don't like this," he whispered. "She's not allowing herself to feel anything. That wouldn't be so bad if she were a Vulcan, but she's human and Klingon. While some humans are almost as controlled as Vulcans, Klingons are not. We may have more problems brewing."

T'Sarna shook her head then nodded her head at Ramsey's hands, which were tightly clenched in the bed sheets. The knuckles were turning white. "She is feeling the emotions she needs to be feeling at this point. She is only fighting to prevent a violent outburst. It will come in its time."

McCoy looked at T'Sarna. The mind healer was still tuned to Ramsey's mind and emotions. If she said Ramsey was feeling the appropriate emotions, then she was feeling them too. Years of working with Spock had taught him to read Vulcans a little and he looked for something in T'Sarna's face or stance to confirm what she had said. There, a slight crease at the corners of her eyes. It was enough to tell him the Vulcan was having to fight to control some powerful emotions.

"What's my official status?" Ramsey asked.

"Medically, you're still recovering. The physical healing is done, but, you still need to rebuild the muscle that was lost. The healing has begun in your mind, but that will take more time," T'Sarna said.

"Thank you, but that wasn't exactly what I meant."

McCoy handed her a robe. "The rest is a bit more complicated. I'll explain on the way to your quarters."

She eyed him suspiciously as she stood up. McCoy reached out to steady her as she stood shaking. Ramsey leaned against him for several minutes, before finally putting the robe on over the hospital tunic and shorts she was wearing.

McCoy studied Ramsey. He found it hard to accept this was the same person who had been the Captain of the Enterprise. He remembered watching the play of the muscles in her arms and back as she practiced with the _bat'leth_. He doubted she could hold one for more than a few minutes now. _Besides, with her memories, it might be a good idea to keep her away from Klingon weapons for a while,_ he thought. He glanced down at her legs and frowned again. He thought back on when she had walked into the Enterprise's transporter room wearing the female dress version of the class-A uniform, with the dress shoes instead of the boots. He had meant it as a joke, when he asked Jim where he thought Ramsey was carrying her daggers in that uniform, but he had taken note of her legs at the time. Strong, well defined, almost like a high-spirited show horse. Seeing her walk into the transporter room that day, he understood why women had been given the nickname fillies in the past.

Today, Ramsey reminded him of a stately tree that had been through disease and fire. It was only a shadow of its former self, but the potential for re-growth was still there.

"I'll have one of the physical therapists stop by later today and work out a training schedule with you. I'm also putting you on a pretty strict diet for a while. At least until I know your system is back to normal," McCoy said as he escorted Ramsey out of the room.

"Thank you," Ramsey said.

They walked slowly, in silence through the corridors. "We're keeping you here at Starfleet Medical, for a while. But, we are moving you to one of the open apartments in the housing area. Other patients there are at similar stages in their recovery. We've found it helps recovery at this point to move patients out of the hospital area and let them have more control of their lives," McCoy said.

"Control of their lives. And, just how much control do I have over my life? I would almost consider that a joke, Doctor McCoy, if it wasn't also the biggest lie in my life."

"You have more control than you think you do. You are a strong person, and will continue to be when this is all behind you." McCoy stopped and looked at the small room plaque on the wall. "Here we are. Your new home for a while." He pressed the door lock and the door slid open smoothly.

"Thank you, Doctor. I've been through similar circumstances before, I'll get through this one," Ramsey said.

"Listen to me Kelli Ramsey. You don't have to go through this alone." McCoy placed a hand on Ramsey's shoulder. He tried not to flinch at the feel of the paper-thin skin over her bones. "You have friends who care about you and want to help."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Ramsey said, smiling thinly. "You still haven't said anything about my official status," Ramsey said, ignoring the open door.

McCoy glanced away for the briefest moment before answering. "Admiral Nogura hasn't updated your status yet. I do know there were some questions raised earlier, but I don't know exactly what they were," McCoy said.

"Can you tell me anything?"

"Nothing official, Kelli. I do know Jim's working on getting you reinstated into Starfleet - if that's what you want. Right now, your status is on hold. I will be letting Jim and Admiral Nogura know that we've moved you here. I'm sure they will be contacting you in a few days."

"Thank you." Ramsey turned away from the doctor and entered the dark apartment.

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	29. Chapter 29

_**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**_

_**(FEDERATION)**_

.

.

Ramsey slapped the door lock as soon as she stepped into the darkened room. She leaned back against the closed door for several seconds before she heard Doctor McCoy's footsteps walking away from her door. "Lights," she ordered. McCoy was hiding something from her. She had seen his eyes dart away from her before he answered her question. She just didn't know if she really wanted to pursue it right now.

The far wall of the small room was stacked with several boxes. There was a couch against the wall to her right, set between two other doors. Keeping one hand on the wall, Ramsey moved around the room to check the two other rooms. The first room was a small bedroom, with another door leading to what she assumed would be the bathroom. The other room was larger with several pieces of exercise equipment and a soft mat.

Still moving slowly and carefully, Ramsey moved to check the boxes. Attached to one of the boxes was a small sword shaped letter opener with a note attached. She removed the note and sank down to the floor to read the note.

"Greetings to you Lady Vivian from the Merlin," the note began. Ramsey felt a smile come to her face as she recognized Andrew Moore's handwriting and the old familiar joke used by the crew of the Excalibur when she had served on that ship. "Admiral Kirk told me you were back and asked me to make sure all of your property was brought here. He wouldn't tell me what was going on, so please contact me when you get a chance. I hope everything is okay.

"I think I got everything, except your weapons. Doctor McCoy specifically told me not to give them to you yet, so I left them with Michael for now. I know you gave him the picture of you and Warren before you left the Enterprise, but he insisted I return it to you. It's in the box this note is attached to.

"Whatever is going on, I know you'll come through it fine. After everything else you've been through in your life, I think you can handle anything. Fair winds to you Kitty Kelli - Andrew."

Ramsey laid the note aside and reached into the box. Her hand encountered a soft cloth wrapped around a large square object. She carefully lifted the object out of the box and laid it in her lap. Her hands trembled as she gently unwrapped the picture. For several minutes, she stared at the picture of the USS Excalibur against a brilliant star field. In the lower corner was a picture of her and Captain Warren Kraus. It had been Warren who first started calling his command staff the "Knights of the Round Table." She had been Excalibur's chief engineer at the time and had rebelled against being called Lady Guinevere. Despite Warren's playful insistence that as chief engineer she was the appropriate person to play "Lady of the Keep", Andrew had managed to convince the rest of the "Knights" to start calling her Lady Viviane. To her that was the higher compliment. Warren and she had a close friendship, but that was all it was. He was married and she wanted nothing that could be mistaken to mean there was something between them.

She rested her fingers lightly on the picture and frowned. Pain stabbed at her mind as she was caught in a memory she had fought for years to bury.

#

"Commander, the Excalibur will be arriving shortly. The station commander requests you meet him in his office," A yeoman said, interrupting Ramsey's lunch.

"Thank you, I'll be there in a few minutes." Ramsey took a few more bites of her lunch, before her curiosity got the better of her. Excalibur should have only been returning to pick her up. What could have happened that the station commander wanted to meet with her before the ship arrived?

She pushed her plate away, stood up and hurried to the station commander's office. Captain Cartwright was a tall, black man, ten years her senior. She had met him at the Academy when he was assigned as one of the monitors for her Kobyashi Maru scenario. While they had gotten along fine, there had been a nagging sense in the back of her mind that there was something he didn't like about her. However, he treated her with respect and professionalism when they dealt with each other. She even understood he had been one of those to recommend her assignment to the Excalibur. In the few weeks she had been here at Starbase Sixteen, recovering from her illness, they had exchanged a few greetings, but had never spent any time together.

As she approached Cartwright's office, Ramsey smoothed her uniform tunic and squared her shoulders. A tingling in the back of her mind startled her for a second. There was something wrong and she wasn't going to like it.

"Reporting as ordered," Ramsey said, saluting when she entered the austere office.

"Thank you, Commander. Please take a seat," Cartwright said with a formal nod.

Ramsey sat and waited for Cartwright to speak first. She glanced quickly around the office. The room was bare of decoration, reports were scattered on the credenza behind Cartwright's desk as well as across the desk itself. In the middle of the clutter, she noticed a small picture of a young woman. The resemblance was obvious; she was related to Cartwright. _Probably his sister,_ Ramsey thought. There was something else familiar about the picture, but Ramsey couldn't place it.

"I have some bad news," Cartwright said. "The Klingon ship Excalibur was supposed to rendezvous with fired on her. Captain Kraus was killed. You will be assuming command of Excalibur until Starfleet makes a decision on a replacement. I expect they'll offer you the position."

Ramsey stared at Cartwright for several minutes. "It was supposed to be a simple personnel transfer. The Nightwing agreed to the rendezvous. What happened?"

"I don't have the full report yet. All we know is the Captain of the Nightwing met the Excalibur approximately five parsecs from the rendezvous point and opened fire as soon as they made sensor contact."

Ramsey leaned back in the chair, trying to catch her breath and understand what had happened. Captain Warren Kraus, her friend and Captain was dead. The Excalibur had been on a rescue mission and was transporting the survivors of a damaged Klingon vessel to a rendezvous with another Klingon vessel. It made no sense the Nightwing had fired on Excalibur.

Cartwright glanced at the small clock on his desk. "The Excalibur will be arriving at docking port C in about five minutes. I thought you would want to be there to greet them," Cartwright said.

"Of course. Thank you, Sir." Ramsey stood, saluted then left the office.

The walk to the docking port was longer than any walk she had ever taken. The tingling in the back of her mind turned to a stabbing pain the closer she got to the area. She watched as the Constitution Class Starship slowly maneuvered into position to dock with the Starbase. There were several phaser burns along her sides and a large burn, probably from a photon torpedo, on her saucer section near the bridge. Her hands covered her mouth as she watched the Excalibur and her body shook as she fought the tears coming to her eyes.

The first people off the ship were Jenna Austera, the Chief Medical Officer and Andrew Moore, the Science Officer. Both them immediately embraced her in a tight hug.

After a few minutes, Ramsey pulled away from her friends. "What's Excalibur's status?" she asked.

"We need some repairs, but they're not too extensive," Moore said.

"Are they extensive enough to justify a trip back to Earth?" Ramsey hoped her expression would tell him she needed him to say yes.

Moore nodded slightly. "I'll have to confirm with Engineering," he said. "But, I think it can be justified."

"Good. Give everyone time to visit the Starbase if they want to, then get Excalibur ready for the trip to Earth."

"Aye, Captain," Moore said.

#

Ramsey blinked away tears as she looked at the picture. She had never truly forgiven herself for being the catalyst in the event that had result in Warren's death. Her illness, which caused him to be late for the rendezvous with the Nightwing. The Excalibur's late arrival, which resulted in the Captain of the Nightwing believing Warren had broken his word about returning the Klingon survivors. That belief had been what prompted the Klingons to attack the Excalibur. If she hadn't been part Klingon, she would not have gotten ill and Warren would not have been killed.

Now, because of her Klingon heritage, she had lost Ta'les. The one stabilizing factor in her life after she recovered her memory the first time. He had defied her uncle, and came to Vulcan from Kronos to make sure she made it through the recovery process. He had stayed with her for the eight months on Vulcan, never mentioning their promise to each other or pushing her in that direction. He was only there to support her as a friend and to help guide her away from the false memories her mind kept creating.

She had wanted desperately to deny her Klingon heritage at that time. She hated Klingons and herself for what happened to Warren. And, it had taken six of those eight months before she was ready to accept who she truly was. The last two months had been spent in relearning her history and in deciding what to do with her future. Ta'les had tried to convince her to return to the Empire, but she decided to return to Starfleet. Once again hiding her past, this time in a web of lies.

Now it was over, she had deserted her command to return to the Empire. The treaty she had authored had been used by a member of the High Council to attack the Federation. That same councilor had invaded her mind and she had no idea what tactical information he had gained as a result. Everything she had worked for was gone, destroyed by her Klingon heritage. And, now her husband, Ta'les, had left her also.

"The _Fek'lhr _take them all!" Ramsey threw the small letter opener across the room and watched as it bounced off the wall. She hit one of the boxes knocking it over, several glass globes rolled out in front of her. She grabbed the closest and flung it against the wall. Ramsey felt a faint satisfaction as she listened to the glass shatter. She picked up another of the globes and flung it across the room. She hurled the glass balls across the room for almost an hour, venting her frustration and anger.

When the box was finally empty, Ramsey curled up on the floor choking back the sobs that racked her body. "Ta'les, why did you leave?" she asked softly. She blinked slowly trying to clear the glittering veil of tears that covered her eyes, yet refused to fall.

In the silence of the room, Ramsey listened closely to the sound of her heart beating. Very faintly, she could hear an echoing beat; just out of synch with her own. The bond was still there, which meant he was still with her. For a few beats, the two sounds seemed to merge into one then they separated once again. She lay there, amidst the boxes and broken glass, crying softly in an empty room that echoed the emptiness in her soul.

.

.


	30. Chapter 30

_**CHAPTER THIRTY**_

_**(FEDERATION)**_

_._

.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Kirk asked, entering Admiral Nogura's office.

"Good morning, James." The Admiral looked up from the report he was reading. "I expect Commodore Ramsey to be joining us in a few minutes. Doctor McCoy contacted me a few hours ago. He and Healer T'Sarna are ready to release her to light duty. Her physical therapy is going well, as is the rest of her recovery. Does your recommendation to place her in command of the Excalibur still stand? After she's released to full duty, of course."

"It does."

"I'm sure you realize the kind of trouble that is liable to start within the Admiralty and with anyone who may have heard the rumors and accusations."

"It will be difficult at first, but I've taken a few steps to help negate the impact of those rumors and accusations. Pull up her record," Kirk said, leaning back in the chair.

Admiral Nogura typed several commands into his computer and quietly read through the data that appeared on the screen. "This is good," he said after a few minutes. "I would enjoy seeing Cartwright's face if he ever reviews this file. Using him as the one who sent her on a deep cover assignment within the Empire is a bit ironic. Since, it was never officially acknowledged that Kelli Ramsey and Lady K'Lyssia were the same person, this story even makes sense. Nice job. But, how did you get the changes into the official records? Never mind, I probably don't want to know." Nogura smiled. "The same way you managed to beat the Kobyashi Maru scenario, probably."

Kirk looked up as the door chime rang, followed by Ramsey entering the room. The luster was back in her black hair, which had been neatly trimmed to just above shoulder length. Her bangs had grown out and had been combed back and pinned with small diamond and dagger shaped barrettes. He was pleased to see some of the old fire back her green eyes. There was even a hint of the old defiance in the tilt of her head as she surveyed the office.

Ramsey was not dressed in a uniform; instead, she was wearing a skintight turquoise jumpsuit. Similar to the workout outfit she had been wearing the first time he had met her. He found himself scanning Ramsey as she stood there, appraising her appearance. The first time he had met her, he had been impressed by her physical condition. He could tell she had recovered much of her previous physique in the past month, but there were still places where the muscle definition was missing.

Kirk stood and held out his hand. "I hope you're feeling better, Kelli," he said.

Ramsey took his hand in a light grip and Kirk was surprised at the coolness and weakness of her grip. The strength she had had previously wasn't there. He forced himself to look away from her eyes and saw the sunken cheeks that still hadn't filled back out and the dark hollows under her eyes. Still he had to admit she looked a lot better than she did the last time he had seen her. He glanced down at her boots and back up. She gave she a crooked smile and nod. _So, McCoy gave her, her daggers back. I'll have to contact Michael and let him know it's okay to return the rest of her weapons, _he thought.

The Commodore stepped away from him and Kirk sat back down.

"You wanted to see me, Admiral," Ramsey said.

"Have a seat, Commodore," Nogura said, indicating the chair next to Kirk.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Kelli, do you realize the problems you have created for me this time? I have at least one member of my staff who wanted to have you court-martialed for deserting your post," Nogura said as Ramsey sat down.

Kirk noticed Ramsey's back stiffen and her hands clench before she replied.

"Let me guess –- Cartwright!" She almost spat the name.

"You know perfectly well, I cannot comment on whether it was _Admiral _Cartwright or not. However, I will tell you why. You failed to resign your commission before going over to Kang's ship. Since, the Enterprise logs indicate you went voluntarily, technically it was desertion," Nogura said.

"Now, wait a minute!" Ramsey interrupted.

Nogura ignored the outburst and continued as if Ramsey had never spoken. "If I had allowed this person to pursue formal charges, I also realize we would be trying to court-martial the person responsible for preventing a war."

Nogura paused and Kirk smiled at the look of surprise on Ramsey's face. She stared at the Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet for several seconds, her mouth hanging open.

"In the recent incident with the Klingons, the Excalibur lost her Captain, therefore, as soon as the doctors certify you fit for duty, you will be taking command of that vessel," Nogura said.

"Thank you, Sir," Ramsey finally said.

"That was the good news, now for the bad. As much as we like to pretend politics doesn't play a part in what we do, everyone knows that it does. Despite what any of us think about Admiral Cartwright personally, what just happened bears out something he has been warning Starfleet about for several years. We have to be very careful about how we handle your part in the events of the past few months. Starfleet and the Federation Council never acknowledged you as Lady K'Lyssia and it is going to remain that way. Admiral Kirk has taken steps to prevent Cartwright from renewing his accusations, but you will need to tread carefully for a while."

"I understand, Sir," Ramsey said softly.

"I'm glad you do, because I'm not sure I do. For now, you should probably get some rest. We will be holding a change of command ceremony on board the Excalibur at twenty hundred hours this evening. If you're up to it, that is."

"Yes, Sir. I'll be fine." Ramsey stood, saluted and turned to leave the office. She stopped when Nogura spoke again.

"Kelli, what you did went well beyond the call of duty and it won't be forgotten," Nogura said.

Ramsey smiled and nodded her head. "Honor demanded that I do no less," she said.

"Kelli, remember this," Kirk said before she could leave. "Death can only truly kill you if you have no honor in your heart. Those without honor, died long before their hearts stopped beating. You shall always be remembered - with honor."

Ramsey smiled and nodded at Kirk. "And you, my brother" she said very softly. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them and brought her right arm up in the Klingon salute. "_Qapla'_!" Ramsey turned and left the room.

"And, what of the _Honor of the Service_, when we allow politics to prevent her from receiving the recognition she deserves?" Nogura handed Kirk a medal case.

Kirk opened it carefully and nodded. "She definitely deserves this. If we keep certain things in her records classified and make sure the right information in the cover file makes it into the gossip channels, we will be able to acknowledge the cover story and make the award based on that," he said, returning the medal case to Nogura.

"It might just work."

"I'll make sure it does," Kirk said.

.

.


	31. Chapter 31

_**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**_

_**(FEDERATION)**_

.

.

Ramsey looked at the Excalibur as she hung in the space dock and smiled. This was where her heart was. "Admiral, she looks like she suffered a bit of battle damage," she said, looking at the phaser burns along the secondary hull, nacelles and bridge.

"She did. Fortunately, hers were the only significant loses suffered. Excalibur was stationed in the Meikos Minor system and a larger force than expected met them. She should be ready by the time you're back on full duty," Admiral Nogura said.

"Meikos Minor..." Ramsey's voice trailed off as she tried to remember the name. "By Kahless, Meikos Minor - Thelva..." She felt Admiral Nogura place a hand on her shoulder as she grabbed the console of the shuttle pod for support. "How bad were the loses?"

"Fifty dead, including the Captain. Over one hundred injured. About twenty of those will not return to starship duty. And, several of those have been medically retired."

"Her captain was Timothy Gerhart, wasn't it?" Ramsey forced herself to stand straight and turned to face Nogura.

"It was. Did you know him?" Nogura asked.

"We were in the same graduating class at the Academy. He was a good officer and a good friend."

"They were all good officers," Nogura said softly.

"Yes, they were." Ramsey closed her eyes and turned away from Nogura.

#

"Hey, Kelli."

"Go away," Ramsey said without looking up.

"Try and make me. Right now, you would have to physically remove me from this area."

"Suit yourself, Gerhart. I'll go somewhere else." Ramsey picked up her books and started to leave.

"Come on, Kelli, don't let people like Ron Strosser get to you. He's not worth it." Gerhart sat on the bench next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I've had to put up with people like Strosser since I got here, and I'm tired of it. Why can't they accept me for who I am and quit focusing on my Klingon genetics?"

Gerhart reached up and brushed her hair away from her face. "It doesn't help that you're the eternal pessimist or that you draw attention to your Klingon heritage," he said.

"Explain." Ramsey pulled his hand away from her face and held it.

"Kelli Ramsey, you spend more of your time focusing on those people like Strosser, who want to harass you than you do with the people like me and Andrew Moore. You know - the people who are your friends. Then you are one of only a handful of cadets who enrolled in the Klingon language class. As far as I know, you _are _the only one who asked to enroll. The other cadets are only taking the class because they are required to."

He reached up with his free hand to caress her cheek. "Your pessimism about how people see you is so out of place. Underneath that is a person who is still naïve and wants to believe the best of people and situations. I guess that's what I find so fascinating about you." He slipped his hand behind her head, pulled her close, and kissed her.

Ramsey started to pull away, then relaxed and returned the kiss.

#

Ramsey stared at the damage and felt her heart stop for a moment. The damage to the Excalibur. The pattern of the phaser burns. It was so similar to the damage the ship had suffered when Warren was killed. Now another close friend had died and it was because of her Klingon heritage.

They sat in silence the rest of the way to the Excalibur. Ramsey felt herself tense as she thought about the crew's possible reactions to her taking command. There were sure to be some hard feelings. It was now common knowledge throughout Starfleet that she was half Klingon. She had also heard rumors that echoed Cartwright's accusations beginning surface. Neither of these facts was going to help with the command transition.

When they stepped out of the shuttle, Ramsey saw Admiral Nogura had assembled only the senior staff to greet her. She smiled when she saw Andrew Moore, Kenneth Shepard and Jenna Austera in the group. She had found out that twenty-five members of the crew had survived the M-5 war games, transported to the Lexington before the final hull breaches had occurred. They were all still on board. _At least three allies among the senior staff,_ she thought. _And, a few more among the crew. Twenty-five out of over four hundred; it's a start._

"Presenting the new Captain of NCC One Six Six Four, USS Excalibur, Commodore Kelli Ramsey," Admiral Nogura announced.

The crew snapped to attention as Ramsey stepped forward. She noticed Kirk and Kang standing off to one side and nodded to them. She quickly read the transfer orders, then stepped back as Admiral Nogura stepped back up to the podium. As she stepped back, Ramsey noticed Admiral Cartwright standing just behind her friends. She felt her eyes narrow and a frown come to her face. Admiral Cartwright only smiled politely.

"Officers of the Excalibur," Nogura said. "We have weathered a crisis. A crisis which could easily have resulted in a war with the Klingon Empire. Thanks to the efforts of crews such as this, we were able to avoid that war. It is also with thanks to those such as Admiral Kirk and Commodore Ramsey that the loss of life was kept as low as it was in the skirmishes that did occur.

"The loss of Captain Gerhart and the others from the Excalibur is something we will never forget, but we also know their sacrifices were not in vain. It is with great pride and appreciation that Starfleet presents the Silver Palm for Valor to Captain Gerhart; Lieutenants Stewart, Tannehill, Headlee and Greywolf." Nogura continued to read off the list of fifty names. "Crewmen Smith, Daniels, Green and Donaldson." He paused as he finished reading the list and those present applauded respectfully.

Nogura motioned Ramsey up and handed her a plaque with a copy of the medal attached to it along with the award citation and names of those receiving it engraved on it. She took the plaque and holding it carefully saluted the Admiral before stepping back to her place.

"The Legion of Merit is being awarded to all those aboard the Excalibur during the battle in the Meikos Minor system." He nodded to the tall slender Commander standing with the command staff, who stepped forward to receive the second plaque.

When the Commander had stepped back with the command crew, Nogura continued. "Also, in recognition of the sacrifices made by the officers and crew of the Excalibur, the Starfleet flag is hereby transferred from the Enterprise to the Excalibur during the period of Enterprise's refit. If Enterprise gets it back after that is something we will have to see." A Yeoman stepped forward and placed the Starfleet pennant into the flag stand next to the podium.

Nogura glanced at Kirk and grinned. "I'm almost willing to predict that with Admiral Kirk out of the commander chair of the Enterprise and Commodore Ramsey in the command chair here, Enterprise will have some serious trouble reclaiming that title," Nogura said.

Ramsey smiled at the cheers that went up from the assembled officers. She glanced at Cartwright and gave him a smug grin, then offered a loud whoop of her own.

After several minutes, Admiral Nogura raised his hand for silence. "Now, I would like to honor another person who played a significant role in the recent crisis," he said as the noise level died down. "Commander Kang, please step forward."

The noise in the cargo bay immediately dropped to complete silence. Ramsey sighed softly at the angry looks that crossed the faces of several of the officers, including the Commander who had accepted the Legion of Merit plaque and she assumed would be her First Officer.

"While it is true Commander Kang is a member of the Imperial Klingon Defense Forces it is also true he acted in the greater interest of peace. Kang was an important link in retrieving and bringing to the Federation information regarding the plans of a single member of the Klingon Government who had acted on his own to start a war with the Federation. In doing this, Commander Kang risked his life and his chances of ever being able to return to the Empire. His service to both the Federation, the Empire and to the cause of peace is to be commended." Nogura paused and turned to face Kang. "Commander on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, it is my honor to present you with the Silver Palm for Valor." He pinned the medal to Kang's gold sash, saluted the Klingon, then offered his hand.

"You do me great honor, Admiral." Kang returned the Federation salute then grasped the Admiral's hand.

Ramsey glanced at Cartwright after Nogura had finished with the presentation and shuddered at the calculating look on his face.

.

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	32. Chapter 32

_**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**_

_**(FEDERATION)**_

_._

.

Ramsey hesitated at the door to the conference room and Kirk placed a hand on her shoulder. "Give them a chance to get to know the real Kelli Ramsey and things will work out."

She glanced at Kirk and nodded. "Come on, Admiral let's go meet my crew." Ramsey strode into the reception and was immediately caught in a bear hug by Andrew Moore.

"Welcome back, Kelli," he said. "Come on, I'll do the official introductions." He led her to a group of three officers.

"Commodore Kelli Ramsey allow me to present your senior staff. Commander Phillip Dacien, your First Officer."

The tall dark haired Commander extended his hand and gripped Ramsey's hand tightly. She only smiled and refused to be intimidated by his actions.

"I'm sure you remember Jenna Austera, she's still Chief Medical Officer," Moore said.

Austera smiled and hugged Ramsey. "Welcome back, Kelli," she said. She brushed a few stray strands of her blonde hair back from her face.

Ramsey studied the Medical Officer. She hadn't seen Austera since her transfer to Admiral Cartwright's office over three years ago. The petite blonde woman hadn't changed much in that time. Her clear blue eyes still reflected the strength of her will. A strength Ramsey had had to bow to more than a few times in the past.

Moore turned to the last officer, a portly, gray-haired gentleman. "And, this is Lieutenant Logan Rigney, Chief Engineer."

"A pleasure to meet you Commodore," the engineer said with a nod.

"Commander."

Ramsey excused herself from the group and walked over to the refreshment table. She glanced over the drinks offered. "I doubt anyone thought to include bloodwine," a voice said behind her. "After all this is not a Klingon vessel."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around. "Actually, Admiral," she said as she faced Admiral Cartwright. "I was hoping for a cold glass of water. Doctor McCoy has recommended I stay away from alcohol for a while. If you will excuse me, Sir, I'm starting to feel a bit drained and probably should get some rest." Ramsey stepped around the Admiral and left the room.

#

"Here you are," Kirk said, stepping onto the observation deck. "I should have guessed, but I decided to check the bridge and engineering first. You know you're missing the reception."

"I did the official introduction thing, that's enough for now." Ramsey didn't turn away from the view of the stars.

He walked over to stand beside her. "You okay?"

"I will be. At least that's what the doctors are telling me. Personally, I don't know who I am anymore."

"You are Kelli Ramsey. Commodore in Starfleet and Captain of the Excalibur," Kirk said.

Ramsey turned to look at him and he saw the sad smile on her lips. "Who also happens to be the former Leader of the Klingon High Council," she said.

"So what you're saying is; since you've been the head of a powerful government, being _just _a starship captain isn't enough for you." Kirk gave her one of his boyish smiles.

"That's not it at all. My duty to the Empire..."

"Is over!" Kirk interrupted. "Kang received a message from Kor yesterday. Gorkon has been installed as the new Leader of the High Council."

"But, what of honor?" Ramsey turned back to the stars.

"What of it?" Kirk put his hand on her shoulder and turned her back to face him. "You have lived in the Federation for thirty years. Face it; your definition of honor and the current definition within the Empire aren't the same. Honor was satisfied when you were willing to risk your life and your sanity to stop a war. At least according to the Terran definition. Would most Klingons agree?"

"Many wouldn't. But..."

"No buts. Do you think Kahless would have agreed?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "It's time you looked past duty and honor. You have done your duty to both the Federation and the Empire. You have the luxury of being able to be a little selfish right now. What do you, Kelli K'Lyssia Ramsey want? Do you really want to return to the Empire and fight for a place there? Or, do you want to take command of the Excalibur and return to the stars?"

"Follow your dreams where ever they may lead, and believe in the magic that you see," Ramsey said softly.

"Excuse me?"

"A line from an obscure late twentieth century poem called _Imagination_. There is a lot of magic out here, isn't there?" Ramsey turned back to the window.

"Does that mean you're going to stay?"

"For now. Jim, before I was assigned to the Enterprise, I was considering returning to the Empire. My heart is Klingon; I feel the fire of the warrior spirit in my soul. After I took command of the Enterprise, I was so sick of Cartwright and his witch-hunt I decided I was definitely going to resign as soon as that assignment was completed. Look where that assignment took me."

Ramsey paused for several minutes, and Kirk waited patiently. He had learned from McCoy many years ago; you always found out more from someone when you didn't push. Something he should have remembered on the Enterprise when dealing with Ramsey then.

"If I returned to the Empire now," she finally said. "Gorkon would have no choice but to challenge me. If I won that challenge, I would be trapped in a role I don't want and I know I'm not suited for. If I lost, I would be dead. Neither of those is an acceptable option." Ramsey gave him a crooked grin as she turned back to face Kirk. "Guess I'm staying here."

"Good. By the way, I did some research for you." He handed her a computer tape.

"What's this?" Ramsey held the tape carefully.

"That is something that helps to explain Cartwright and his attitude toward Klingons and you in particular. Granted, like most humans, I think the basic prejudice was always there. Nevertheless, you will still find the information on that tape interesting. Look it over when you're feeling up to it. It in no way excuses his actions, but it will help you to understand him a little better. Moreover, that may make it possible for you to work with him in the future.

"I've spoken to Admiral Nogura and since there are several details of this incident we would like to keep tightly contained, we have decided it would be best if we allowed this matter to quietly pass away."

"And, if he keeps voicing his accusations?" Ramsey looked at the record tape in her hand then back up at Kirk.

"When you get the time pull up your record. I've put together a few white lies that will help to dull the bite of those accusations."

"Thanks, Jim. I guess, I do need to do the politically correct thing and return to the reception," Ramsey said. "I'll look this over when I think about it." She held the computer tape up. With a silly grin on her face, Ramsey left the observation deck, whistling.

.

.


	33. Chapter 33

_**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**_

_**(FEDERATION/EMPIRE)**_

_._

.

Kirk stared at the _bat'leth _hanging on the wall behind his desk. He had originally hung the Klingon weapon there as a memento of his visit to Kronos and as a reminder to keep an open mind in dealing with Klingons. The failed invasion by D'Ras and his forces had tested that promise to himself to its limits.

Every time he felt himself wanting to blame the entire Klingon race for the actions of one group, he looked at the _bat'leth _and thought about Kang and K'Lyssia. He also thought about Cartwright and his: "The only good Klingon is a dead Klingon," attitude. What if the Federation were to be perceived only by the actions of that one man alone?

He had spent most of his career thinking of the Klingons as his sworn enemies. Something it was easier to do if one learned only to look for the bad apples, so to speak, in the group. Never thinking to look for the K'Lyssias or the Kangs; only the D'Ras's.

Now, after receiving this morning's communiqué from Intelligence, he had started wondering if the Kangs and the K'Lyssias were the exceptions to the rule, and perhaps Cartwright was right in his attitude after all.

Ramsey had begged permission to be the one who returned Kang to the Empire. Admiral Nogura, remembering the request from the Federation President that Ramsey be kept away from the Empire, had reluctantly agreed. Privately, Kirk thought it was because Nogura was so shocked Ramsey would beg to be allowed to do anything. Of course, he would never tell Ramsey or Nogura that.

After Excalibur completed the transport, she began the border survey. The assignment, primarily designed to keep Ramsey away from the Klingon Empire, was also appropriate to help her get back into the patterns of being a starship captain again.

Excalibur had vanished shortly after reaching the Argaya sector. Intelligence had received conflicting reports regarding a possible Klingon warship in the area when she disappeared. The Themyscarian had been dispatched to investigate, but could find no evidence of what happened to the Excalibur and her crew. They did report a large, highly charged plasma field that posed a serious navigational hazard.

The lack of debris found by the Themyscarian appeared to rule out the possibility the plasma field or even another ship had destroyed the Excalibur. It looked like she had simply been swallowed up by space.

As he continued to look at the _bat'leth_, Kirk wondered what the disappearance of the Excalibur and Kelli Ramsey was going to do to the shaky relations between the Federation and the Empire. Something else bothering him was a new rumor he had heard today; that Ramsey had returned to the Empire with the Excalibur as a trophy. _No need to wonder where that particular rumor started, he thought. Time to stop it, before it grows any larger._

Kirk pressed the intercom button on his desk then waited. "Riley," he said, when his attaché's face appeared on the screen. "Contact Admiral Nogura and let him know I think it's time we presented a certain award. He'll understand."

"Yes, Sir." The screen flickered off.

Kirk sat back and tried to imagine Cartwright's reaction to finding out about the changes in Ramsey's record and to her being awarded the Starfleet Medal of Honor.

#

"You see, Chancellor Gorkon, I was right. We cannot trust the Federation! I have sources that say the Federation was responsible for the disappearance of the Excalibur." D'Ras stood in front of the throne and shouted at Gorkon.

Gorkon looked at D'Ras and shook his head. "And, why would the Federation do this, D'Ras?"

"To get rid of Lady K'Lyssia."

"To destroy an entire ship to be rid of only one person is not the way the Federation works. If they had wanted to be rid of her, they could have taken care of K'Lyssia while she was recovering from her injuries and it would have raised fewer questions," Ke'vheg said.

"The Federation is planning to destroy us," D'Ras said. "You have all seen the reports the Federation sent us. They say there was a Klingon Battle Cruiser in the area where the Excalibur vanished. By doing this, the Federation is blaming the Empire for this attack. I have spoken with the High Command - there were no Klingon vessels in that sector. The Federation could use this so-called evidence of Imperial involvement as an excuse to attack the Empire. The Federation does not want peace - they want the destruction of the Empire." D'Ras took a couple of steps back, looked at the faces of the other councilors, and smiled at the nods of agreement.

Gorkon took a deep breath before answering. "You may be right. We will wait and prepare. I will not make the first aggressive move against the Federation. The memory of Lady K'Lyssia will not be dishonored in that way. However, if the Federation wants to start something, I swear the Empire will finish it." Gorkon sliced his left palm with his dagger and watched as the blood dripped on the floor.

D'Ras smiled again as the blood oath was sealed. _If I plan things right,_ he thought, _I will be able to force Gorkon into honoring that oath. It just won't be in a way he would want. I will need to speak with Captain K'Temok of the T'Ong._

_#_

Ta'les stood in the shrine of T'Vet and looked up at Vulcan's sister planet where she sat on the horizon, shining brightly. There was no one else in the shrine tonight. The deserts of Vulcan were extremely dangerous to travel when T'Kuht was full.

For the past month, he had been able to feel his bond with K'Lyssia starting to grow stronger. Even without concentrating on the bond, he had been able to hear the echo of her heartbeat, almost in synch with his own. Earlier today, that echo had vanished completely, as had his ability to feel her presence in his mind. He had come to the shrine tonight to meditate and to risk contacting his wife through the bond.

He sat quietly now, watching the shadows created by T'Kuht's light. He had been unable to contact K'Lyssia through the bond, but was again able to feel her presence. He didn't know where she was or what had happened to diminish the bond, however, she was still alive. As long as that was true, he knew the bond would again grow strong. He continued to sit in the silence of the shrine, listening to the faint echo of his heartbeat. _Parted from me, yet never parted,_ he thought. _We who are one heart will be together again._

_._

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* * *

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